Redemption Part I: Actions Have Consequences
by Nerwen Aldarion
Summary: Co author Tinuviel Undomiel: Jane has been in prison for four years but when an old cellmate is on the run he agrees to help Lisbon find him. He learns the team has changed and Lisbon has a secret. Soon Jane learns his actions have a price... Jisbon
1. Not So Burned Bridges

Disclaimer: We own nothing, you hear that, nothing.

A/N Nerwen Aldarion: Hey! Long time no post! Peru was awesome BTW but man it was hard being away from a computer. Yep I know I promised an update to Red John's Making but let me explain before you start throwing things at me. Let's just say I was BLOWN AWAY by the season finale for The Mentalist, I'm sure you guys understand that right? Well this idea came to me while I was up till 2 in the morning still reeling in shock from what happened in Strawberries and Cream. I wanted to know what would happen next, and this is the result. This story will have three parts to accommodate it all and to make up for the wait this chapter is SUPER long! I hope this makes you feel better so get to reading! :-D

A/N Tinuviel Undomiel: Yep when my sister told me this idea I was hooked. I'm sure we all have our theories about the upcoming season. This is just one of our "what ifs". We hope you all enjoy it.

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><p>Redemption<p>

Part I: Actions Have Consequences

Chapter 1: Not So Burned Bridges

The lights flashed mutely in the bright morning sun as Lisbon pulled the SUV behind the line of police cars. Crime scene tape was stretched out across the street, holding back onlookers and gawkers alike. Lisbon simply flashed her badge at the officer standing guard, her three-man team following close behind.

An older detective was kneeling by one of the bodies, when he spotted Lisbon he didn't look pleased, pissed off about being pushed off the case by the bigger fish if she ever saw one. "I'm Agent Lisbon, CBI, this is my team Agents Cho, Rigsby and Van Pelt. What can you tell me?"

He gave her a look as if sizing her up, "Detective Meyers," he said sharply. Yes he was definitely pissed, "We've got three bodies," he gestured to the three bundles underneath the opaque plastic. "Local misfits, all were armed and shot multiple times, I'm thinking gang violence."

"Did anybody hear or see anything?"

"Nope."

That threw her for a loop, "Three men were shot in the middle of the street and nobody looks out their window?"

The detective gave her a smug grin, "Ma'am in this part of town it is an off day when someone _isn't_ shot."

Lisbon's patience with this detective was running thin. "Who found this scene?" Cho asked stepping in.

"A jogger this morning, he lives a few blocks over," but Meyers never took his eyes off Lisbon. Suddenly his whole face lit up, "I remember you now! You're the agent that worked with that psychic! How's that working out for you?" he asked cheekily. There was no doubt he already knew the answer to that question.

Her fingers itched for her gun but she resisted temptation and kept her cool but was more than happy to pull rank, "If you have nothing more to tell us then you should leave. This is a CBI case now." She kept her gaze steady making it clear that staying was not an option.

He hesitated, as if he wanted to stay to stir up more trouble but he noticed the angry glares from the entire team and wisely chose to walk away instead. The team watched him go as if making sure he was really gone, "What an asshole," Van Pelt declared.

Lisbon didn't say anything though she agreed wholeheartedly with the younger agent. She turned her gaze back to the crime scene and noticed Cho was doing the same. His background in gangs made him the expert on this case, "Cho, what do you see?"

He looked up at his boss and then back down at the scene, "It could be gangs but…" he looked around the scene, "This looks one sided, where are the casualties for the other side?"

Rigsby walked over to the other side of the perimeter, bent down to look at something on the pavement. "Blood!" he shouted, "might be a trail."

"Maybe someone on the other gang got hurt," Van Pelt hedged.

Cho pealed back the plastic over the bodies and shook his head, "No gang tattoos, not obvious ones anyways."

Lisbon noticed that but she also saw that the victim's car keys were beside him. She felt an emptiness all of a sudden and she knew why. She's half expected a hand to snatch up the keys and immediately pick out the victim's car; meanwhile she would be seething about protocol. But that didn't happen; it hadn't happened in a long time.

Lisbon shook her head and grabbed the keys, pointing them down the street and clicking the unlock button. Nothing happened so she tried the other direction. A black Camry's lights flickered close by. She and her team headed straight for it.

Rigsby peeked into the front windows, "Nothing but a coffee cup in the front seat," he said.

Van Pelt didn't see anything in the back seat while Lisbon popped the trunk. Rigsby let out a low whistle when he saw the bricks of cocaine stacked neatly in the space.

"Well it wasn't gangs," Cho declared.

"Nope," Lisbon agreed, "It was drugs."

* * *

><p>Back at the CBI headquarters the new case continued to heat up, "The victims are Carl Lightly, José Martinez and Ryan Underwood, all here have rap sheets which include possession with intent to sell, aggravated assault, and battery," Cho announced.<p>

"Nice guys," Van Pelt said dryly.

"Wasn't Carl Lightly involved in something big a while back?" Rigsby asked.

"Yeah!" Van Pelt exclaimed, "Wasn't someone killed?"

"Terri Waters," Cho finished, "she died from an overdose, Lightly was her dealer. Her father has money, he didn't take it well that the prosecution only went for possession and not for wrongful death."

Lisbon eyed the three mug shots, all of them showed big tough men who portrayed a no nonsense attitude. "How did three drug dealers get killed like this?" she asked aloud, "They don't strike me as the type to be caught unawares very easily."

"Deal gone south," Rigsby offered, "a buyer didn't want to pay up."

"So he leaves the drugs behind?"

Rigsby looked a little sheepish at forgetting such a telling fact, Lisbon ignored it, "Then there is the blood, set apart and away from them."

"You think they were lured out there?" Cho asked.

Lisbon didn't reply but continued to let the gears in her mind turn, "Van Pelt, has forensics matched the blood we found at the scene?"

Van Pelt reached for her phone; "I'll call them right now."

Lisbon turned back to the rap sheets but her own cell phone began to ring soon afterwards. She saw the name _David_ pop up on her caller I.D. and she couldn't suppress a smile. She excused herself and went to her office before answering, "Hi."

"Hey Teresa," his voice was smooth, relaxed and deliciously sexy, "How are you doing?"

"Nothing new," she told him, "You?"

"Well my morning surgery went well and I had a cancellation for this afternoon," he told her coyly, "I was thinking about having a real lunch for a change. I'd love some company."

Lisbon grinned but cursed the terrible timing of the case, "Nothing would make me happier but I've got a triple homicide."

"Ugh," he replied, "I'm guessing your boss won't take me wanting to see you as a good excuse."

"Probably not."

"Damn," David sighed, "looks like I'm back to eating a hot dog out of the cart alone."

She laughed softly and so did David. The truth was that they understood each other well. They were both workaholics that worked in high pressure jobs which meant phone calls sometimes had to suffice.

"How's are you guys doing? How are things at home?" David asked.

"We're all doing fine," Lisbon told him, "and things at home are just the usual, he keeps finding ways to get into trouble and then charming his way out."

David chuckled, "I'll have to come over to see him again."

"He'd love that," Lisbon looked out her office window to see Van Pelt hanging up her phone. She turned and waved Lisbon over, the results must be in. "David something has come up in the case, I've got to go."

"I understand, I'll call you later."

"I look forward to it," she reluctantly hung up her cell phone and went to meet Van Pelt in the squad room, "You have something?"

"Forensics matched the blood to Kyle Matthews. He just got out of State Prison for robbery and he used to work for Carl Lightly."

That really caught Lisbon's interest, "He might have been and employee fleeing the scene or…"

"He might have wanted the business for himself," Van Pelt finished.

"Find Matthews," Lisbon told her, "I want to know why he was there."

* * *

><p>"Is this the place?" Lisbon asked as she pulled the SUV into the parking lot of Shelbourne Apartment Complex. Despite the regal sounding name the building it self was a little worse for the wear, clearly a cheap place to live but it at least looked somewhat clean. Lisbon had seen worse while on the job, lived in worse too.<p>

"This is it," Cho declared from the passenger side.

Rigsby leaned over to look out the window from the back seat, taking in the look of the building just as she had. "Not bad for a parolee."

She didn't say anything but simply parked the car and got out, she was ready to find out what Matthews knew. It seemed likely that the case might just be over soon enough, it would be difficult for Matthews to explain how his blood was at the crime scene without admitting to the crime. Sometimes cases were like that; sometimes the pieces just fell into place from the beginning. Other times it was a lot of gnashing teeth and late nights to put the puzzle together. Even worse, sometimes they were never solved.

Lisbon shook those miserable thoughts from her mind; today was not that kind of case. When she stepped inside the small lobby with worn carpet she saw a nice looking old man behind the cramped desk. "What can I do for you?" He asked pleasantly.

"We're looking for Kyle Matthews," Lisbon explained showing her badge, "we want to ask him a few questions about a murder."

The old man looked down sadly, "Poor kids, you try to give them a second chance but they just keep falling into that trap again."

"We're not assuming anything," She told him, "we just want some answers."

He nodded, "Well he lives in 302." Then something caught his eye and he turned to look out the window, "but he's just outside right now."

They followed his gaze to see a tall lanky man with brown hair and large unsure eyes loading a duffel bag into a beat up pick up truck. He looked a little thinner than in his mug shot but there was no doubt it was the man they were looking for. The team raced out of the door as quickly as they could, but slowed to a fast walk so as not to frighten him away. "Kyle Matthews!" Lisbon called out to him from across the parking lot, "We need to talk about Carl Lightly."

Matthews looked up at them as soon as he heard them. Then in the moment it took to process just what was happening he threw open the driver door to the truck, slammed it shut and gunned the engine.

Lisbon broke into a run to try and intercept him, she had her gun drawn and pointed it at the fleeing vehicle but he was already speeding away and out of sight. "Dammit," she muttered as she was forced to watch him flee.

Immediately she pulled out her cell phone, "Van Pelt," she said as soon as the younger agent answered, "put out an APB on Kyle Matthews, he's running."

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An interstate map of California was unfurled on Van Pelt's desk in the squad room while the phones seemed to be constantly ringing. Lisbon still took the time to outline a plan to find Matthews as quickly as possible. All highway patrolmen were on the look out for Matthews and the news reporters were being helpful for once, flashing a picture of him on the TV screens and urging viewers to call in if they saw him.

The map had pencil markings and pins stuck into the location of the apartment where had last been seen, a large circle had been drawn to show the search area they would focus on. Family members and friends had been contacted and questioned which had meant adding a few more pins to the map.

But after twelve hours with no luck, Lisbon began to fear that their lead on the case was going to disappear indefinitely. She felt a headache slowly creeping up on her just like always when she began to come on a dead end on a case.

"We talked to his ex-girlfriend, his old roommate," Rigsby said, "No one knows where he is."

"And if they do, they aren't talking," Grace finished.

"So that's it, we give up then?" Lisbon asked sarcastically, her frustration was dangerously close to reaching that critical peak.

"That's not what we're saying boss," Rigsby explained sheepishly, "but we are running out of options here."

Lisbon wanted to disagree, wanted to tell him that he was wrong but couldn't. She hated his feeling of helplessness. "I know," she sighed. She had a heavy heart but refused to give it up, "Van Pelt," she turned to her youngest agent, "bring the girlfriend back in, maybe she'll give us something in interrogation."

"You may not need to," Cho's voice broke in. She turned to see him putting his cell phone away. "I just got a call from Matthews' cellmate in the State Prison, he said he can tell us where Matthews is."

And there it was, the Hail Mary that just might save the day, "Who is he?" Lisbon asked animatedly, "What does he want?"

But Cho hesitated, that was never a good sign, she braced herself for something awful, "It's Jane, boss. Matthews' cellmate was Jane."

If an angel had walked into the room with a trumpet to announce Armageddon, Lisbon couldn't have been more shocked. It was unimaginable that the past would creep up on her like this. Of all of the inmates in state prison it had to be Patrick Jane that held the key to solving the case.

Lisbon swallowed back her emotions but couldn't hide her discomfort, "How did he…" she began again, "How did he know?"

"He said he heard about Matthews on the news, it showed you at the crime scene," Cho shrugged, "He figured he could help."

She nodded slowly, "Of course he did." Lisbon considered her options carefully; the problem was that she could only see two before her. Continue on banging at that brick wall that held no answers or speak to the man who might, even if she had sworn never to have anything to do with him again. Finally she sighed, there really was no other choice. "Cho, you and Rigsby go talk to him, see what he knows."

Cho looked uncomfortable again and Lisbon felt her stomach tighten in a knot. "He said that he would only talk to you."

The blood rushed in Lisbon's ears as soon as he said those words. It was just like Jane to make such a demand and it would be like him to stick to it. But she couldn't give in; she wasn't going back on her word and go back down that road again. The scars were still healing from the last time she traveled down it, she didn't know if she could survive new ones. "No! Hell no!"

"He says he can help us," Grace began quietly.

"Then he would help us!" Lisbon replied.

"It's what he wants," Rigsby reminded her.

"I don't care," She exclaimed, "but I'm not going to play his games again. Not now, not ever. As far as I'm concerned, Patrick Jane can go to hell!"

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The next morning Lisbon was at the CBI HQ extremely early after spending a sleepless night thinking about the recent turn of events. She had gone back and forth on her decisions to dismiss Jane's help; she couldn't shake the nagging feeling that she was letting her personal feelings cloud her judgment on this one.

She was standing in front of the large map of California that was pinned to the wall. Circles and pins indicated the possible search areas for Matthews, every single one of them led to nowhere. That was where Cho found her, mug of coffee in his hand and the same blank expression he always wore.

"I'm doing the right thing," Lisbon said as soon as Cho stood beside her. It was more of a question then a statement, seeking his opinion.

Cho took a sip of coffee, "You are trying to protect the integrity of the case."

"Damn straight," Lisbon agreed, "Jane never does follow the rules. If I talk to him, if I ask for his help, then I risk the case being dismissed."

Her teammate shrugged, "If you don't ask him for help you may not have a case."

Lisbon sighed heavily but kept her eyes on the map in front of her, "We aren't getting anywhere are we?"

"No, we're not."

She crossed her arms over her chest and studied the map. Following the interstate that led from the CBI to the State Prison, which housed the menace in her life. "What do you think he wants?" she asked and finally turned to look at Cho, "Why does he want to talk to me?"

Cho gave her that dead panned stare, "Do you really want me to say it?"

She thought for a moment, "No, I guess not." Lisbon turned back to look at the map again but wasn't really seeing it. Her mind was far away to several years ago when everything that she thought she knew and understood fell apart, all because of one man. She didn't want to face him again, didn't want to give him the satisfaction of another meeting. "What is it about our demons that just come back to haunt us?"

He shook his head, "I don't know."

Lisbon eyed him with a small smile on her lips, "You got any advice?"

"No," Cho told her and looked at the map, "But whatever you decide I'll stand by it."

"I know you've got my back," Lisbon said, "You all do." Then she looked at the map one last time and sighed, "But I know what I have to do."

Then she turned around to head into her office to gather her things…it was time to face her demon with the blue-green eyes again.

* * *

><p>The State Prison that housed low risk inmates was a place Lisbon had seen several times before for exactly the same reason: to see what an inmate knew. She had never felt anxiety or fear before though, always a steady determination that she would get whatever information she needed. This time that determination had abandoned her now, she wasn't certain of anything, least of all what would happen.<p>

The guard led her into the processing area where she had to hand over her gun and sign the log sheet with the time of her visit. She was informed that all conversations would be recorded and that she was not allowed to pass anything or try to get around the glass to touch the inmate at all. Lisbon simply let the guard talk; she'd heard all of this before many times, all she wanted was to get this over with.

Finally she was led into the visiting room where she sat down in front of a plexi-glass window and a large black phone that connected to the other side. Now it was just the wait for the guards to bring him out. Lisbon could feel each second tick away with each beat of her heart. What was she doing here? She shouldn't have come. Jane was too resourceful, could always read her so well. He'd manipulate her, ruin her investigation somehow or worse…find out what she'd kept from him all of these years.

She heard the buzz of the doors opening and saw two guards leading an inmate through the room. There he was. Dressed in a dark blue jumpsuit that did nothing for him, but his hair was still rakish mop of blonde curls. As soon as he saw her he smiled, it was the same smile that she had seen every day for seven years and damn it if it didn't make her heart flip over in her chest again.

Jane was poised as he picked up the phone, waiting until she picked up her own extension and put it to her ear, "Hello Lisbon."

"What do you have on Matthews?" She asked deciding to make it clear that this was strictly business, not a social visit by any means.

"You look great," he told her, "just like when I saw you last, very lovely. I'm lucky that I have you here to myself, some of the other men here wouldn't be quite as polite if they saw you."

"Charming," Lisbon stated, "Do you have anything on Matthews or did you bring me down here to fulfill some twisted game?"

"You think I'd ask you to come all this way as some sort of joke?" Jane asked calmly, "I'm hurt Lisbon."

"Everything to you is a joke," she shot back.

"That's not true," Jane replied, "You just take everything far too seriously."

Frustrated Lisbon pushed her chair back a few inches, "I don't have time for this," she said and hung up the phone.

Jane knocked on the glass before she could get up completely and gestured for her to pick up her line again. She glared at him all the time she settled down and replaced the phone to her ear, "You don't think I remember an empty threat when I hear one Lisbon?"

"If you don't start giving me some straight answers then it won't be a threat but reality."

He simply looked at her almost disappointed, "Still no patience I see." Then he leaned back a little in his seat, "I saw the case on the news: three men were killed in what looks like a contract hit."

"Yes," Lisbon explained, "It wasn't a professional and we found Matthews' blood at the scene, we think that one of the guys clipped him during the gun fight but he killed them first."

"He didn't do it," Jane stated firmly.

She raised her eyebrows at his words, "Would you like to provide some proof before you write off my prime suspect?"

"Matthews is a weak man, he needs a leader to tell him what to do. He's naïve and a little bit of a fool and a coward, but he has a gentle soul, misguided but gentle," Jane explained, "He doesn't have the mettle to commit a crime like this. His style is more petty things, drugs and a little robbery. I doubt he'd be able to look one of your victims in the eye let alone pull a gun on them."

Lisbon shook her head in disbelief, "His blood was at the crime scene and when we went to talk to him he ran, that doesn't look like innocence."

"Sure it does," Jane replied, "Matthews must have been at the meet, possibly just a coincidence, and one of the bullets nicked him on accident. He's running because, while a fool, he isn't completely brain-dead, he knows how it looks and he's scared."

"That's great," Lisbon said dryly, "but I'd rather talk to him first before I decide anything."

"When you meet him you will see," Jane assured her, "he couldn't have done it."

Lisbon pulled out her pad and pen, "Then tell me his location so I can pick him up."

Jane smiled, "I can't tell you that."

Anger flared through her once again, "What do you mean you _can't_ tell me?"

"I don't know it."

Her eyes widened and she thought about finding a way to break through the glass and strangle him, "You told me you _did_!"

"No I said I know where you could look, unfortunately Matthews never told me where he would hide in the event that the CBI was chasing him." Lisbon rolled her eyes but Jane continued, "Matthews found refuge in the outdoors, probably something from his childhood, maybe he was a boy scout who was only happy out camping with his troop. Maybe his father would take him fishing at a nearby river…"

"What does this have to do with anything?"

"Matthews is a coward, when looking for a place to hide he would seek a place of comfort. Someplace he knows but probably hasn't been to for a long time," Jane told her, "He was from Angels Camp. I'd look around at the state parks nearby, the ones with secluded cabins, possibly by the river."

Lisbon wrote down the information he'd given her. It was a thin lead but fortunately Jane was almost always right about these kinds of things. She put the pen down and looked back at him, "Is that it?"

"No," Jane said with a cryptic smile, "When you find Matthews I want to talk to him."

She gave him a doubtful look, "Why would I let you do that?"

"Because I can get him to tell you who the real killer is."

Lisbon scoffed, "One, I'm not sure if he _isn't_ the real killer and two, what makes you think that I can't do that myself?"

"Because I know how he thinks. You interrogate him and he'll clamp up like a frightened child," He leaned in close, his eyes sparkling and spoke softly into the phone, "I can not only get him to tell you who the real killer is, I can help you set up a way to trap them."

Lisbon didn't doubt Jane meant what he said. She had been asked all the time why she kept him around for as long as she did. Because he could catch killers. It might not have been a normal way, it may have been damn sketchy but he did it, he did it a hell of a lot faster than she could. More than anything Lisbon wanted this case to be done and unfortunately it seemed that in order to do so she would have to work with Patrick Jane again.

But she knew he wasn't telling her everything, "So that's it," She said, "You help me get Matthews and catch the real killer and you don't want anything in return?"

"I didn't say that."

There it was. It appeared that Jane wasn't unlike the other inmates she knew after all. He was willing to help but only if it would somehow benefit him. "What do you want?" she asked, "you want some perk for your cell or for me to put in a good word for you to your warden?"

Jane chuckled softly, "I don't need anything like that. I'm already on his good side after I helped him quit smoking."

Of course he did.

"So what is it then?" She asked feeling more than a little irritated at his little riddles.

He leaned forward and looked seriously in her eyes, "I want you to come back and speak to me."

Lisbon never thought he would ask for that! "What?" she asked even though she'd heard him the first time.

"I want to talk to you again," Jane repeated, "Just a social visit, a little chat if you will."

"Not a chance," Lisbon said firmly.

"Come on Lisbon, are you seriously telling me that you are willing to give up this opportunity to solve this case because you don't want to speak with me?"

Damn, she hated it when he spoke so logically. She covered her eyes with her hand and sighed, she wasn't willing to give in so easily. "Why Jane? Why do you want that?"

Jane looked forlorn for a moment and spoke softly, "Because I've missed you, I've wanted to see you again for a while now…I don't want to miss this chance."

Lisbon shook her head, "No Jane…you lost that, you lost it all when you decided to kill a man."

"Even if that man was Red John?"

"I don't care if he was Hitler," Lisbon exclaimed, "you killed him, killed him in the middle of a mall in cold blood. You should have called it in, should have let us arrest him."

"I told you before that I wasn't going to let that happen," Jane reminded her.

"I know," Lisbon replied, "Which is something that I have to live with every day." She kept her eyes on his, "You don't even realize what you did, what your actions caused."

Jane held her gaze but this time it was probing, as if he was trying to read her again, "I might if you tell me."

Lisbon shrank back, knowing what he was trying to get her to do, "No."

He didn't tear his eyes away from hers, "You are keeping something from me."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are," Jane cut in, "It's why you have been so nervous around me."

"The only thing I feel around you is the urge to shoot you," Lisbon replied, "Unfortunately I don't have my gun."

"You shouldn't let your anger for me cloud your judgment Lisbon," Jane explained, "If you are going to solve this case you are going to need my help…and you know what my terms are." She didn't reply but looked away from his eyes, unable to meet his gaze any longer. He smiled knowingly, "Think about it Lisbon, and call me when you decide."

With that he hung up the phone and the guards came back to escort him to his cell again. Lisbon watched him walk away and he turned back to smile at her before the door shut behind him.

She hated this feeling of uncertainty, hated how Jane had been able to see through her once again. But Lisbon was becoming certain that the only way she would ever be able to put this case was to rest was if she made a deal with the devil.

She was just afraid that she would lose her soul once again.

* * *

><p>The team looked up immediately as soon as Lisbon stepped into the squad room. If there was any attempt to hide their curiosity they didn't try hard enough, they looked at her with expectant eyes that all but begged her to tell them what she and Jane had talked about. She was not sorry to disappoint them in the least.<p>

"Rigsby," she began, "Check out the parks around Angels Camp, look for ones that have camp grounds and cabins and see if any of them are closed to the public right now." She turned to look at Cho, "Cho, call up Matthews' ex girl friend, see if she remembers him mentioning any campground or park that he would go to when he was younger, cross check those against the parks Rigsby finds." Now her attention was to her remaining agent, "Van Pelt, any leads come in on Matthews' location."

Van Pelt was shook her head, "No ma'am," but it was obvious her attention was elsewhere. She was trying to read Lisbon's face for hints. Lisbon turned away, "Tell me when you find something," she said before entering her office.

It didn't take long for Grace to follow. She quietly shut the door behind her and approached her boss, "You went to see Jane."

Lisbon sighed knowing that Grace wouldn't let this go but was also grateful for her compassion, "Yes, he had an idea of where Matthews would be." It wasn't what Grace really wanted to hear but it was the truth.

Grace glanced around to see if anyone was listening, an involuntary action when she wanted to ask something privately. She whispered, "Did you talk to him about…" her voice trailed off but there was no need to continue.

"No," she replied, "And I don't intend to."

"Alright," Grace nodded, still in the mindset of a supportive friend, "If you need to talk about it."

Lisbon cut her off, "We're in the middle of a man hunt; this isn't the time to discuss these sorts of things." But she smiled at Grace gratefully, "but thank you."

"I'll be here," she told her boss before smiling softly and returning back to her desk. Lisbon watched Grace leave and briefly wondered if she should have accepted her friend's offer, it might have helped her know for sure that her decision was the right one.

An hour later Rigsby came to her office, "Boss, we might have something."

"What is it?"

"Matthews' girlfriend said he used to go to a park with his father, something with trees. Near Angels Camp there is a state park called Calaveras Big Trees State Park," Rigsby explained, "they have cabins but they aren't supposed to be open right now."

Lisbon nodded and grabbed her gun and badge, "Call the state park officials let them know that we believe Matthews could be there but don't approach, he could be dangerous."

It was time to see if Jane was right.

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Cabin 3 was in a secluded area of the park; it was beautiful during May when the dogwood trees were in full bloom. At other times of the year it is a small getaway from everyone and everything. Matthews chose Cabin 3 for that reason: to get away.

He was peacefully washing the lone dish he'd eaten his dinner on when the door to the cabin slammed open and a pack of officers with guns burst into the tiny building. Matthews instinctively put his hands over his head just as one of the officer's yelled, telling him to lay on the ground flat as well.

Lisbon entered the building with her gun and handcuffs ready, "It's over Matthews," she said as she locked the cuffs around his wrist. "We have a few questions for you…and you _will_ answer them."

* * *

><p>Matthews sat like a statue in the interrogation room, staring blankly at Rigsby, only blinking every once in a while. He didn't move, didn't speak, just sat there completely still. It was a little unnerving but more than that, it was frustrating to ask question after question and receive not even a grunt of acknowledgement.<p>

After an hour of silence Rigsby was called out of the room and met up with Lisbon and Cho outside. "He's not saying anything," he told them, "he's not even asking for a lawyer."

Cho looked to his boss, "Do you think you would get him to talk?"

Lisbon watched the man inside of the interrogation room and remembered what Jane said. _You interrogate him and he'll clamp up like a frightened child._ He had been right about where Matthews would be and he had been right about how Matthews would react under interrogation, silent like a small boy afraid to say the wrong thing so he says nothing at all.

Jane had also said that he could get him to talk but Lisbon did not want to turn over her investigation to an inmate, even if she had once considered him a friend. He was reckless and a liability now, it would be difficult to get a jury to agree with the methods of a convicted felon.

But Jane tended to be right…and she wasn't getting anywhere following the book.

"Hold him here until I say otherwise," Lisbon told them, "I need to speak to Hightower immediately."

She left her team to sit with Matthews while they wondered just what she was planning to do to get Matthews to cooperate. Lisbon was no fool, she knew that this idea was ridiculous and could probably destroy the integrity of the case before it ever went to court and Hightower probably wouldn't approve it anyways. Perhaps a small part of her wanted that outcome, wanted to be told 'no' so that she could walk away from this without facing Jane again.

But Lisbon did not like to leave cases unfinished and she was willing to put aside her own misgivings to solve them.

Madeline Hightower had moved back into her office almost a year after the threat of Red John had been eliminated. She was still the hardnosed boss she'd always been, but everyone had been ecstatic to welcome her back mostly because it meant LaRoche was gone. Lisbon had joined in on the celebrations silently but looked at her boss with a new level or respect. An understanding had been formed between the two agents in the wake of O'Laughlin's and Red John's deaths that had made the working relationship between them much easier than it had been before. Still, Lisbon wasn't entirely sure how this request would go, Hightower had supported Jane in the past, but that was before he had been arrested for killing someone.

Hightower was behind her desk, a normal stance for Lisbon to find her, but she looked up as soon as the agent stepped through the door. "Agent Lisbon, what brings you here?"

"Complications with the Matthews case."

She set her pen down and leaned back in her chair, "I thought you captured him."

"We did…but he isn't cooperating in interrogation."

"What exactly do you mean by 'he isn't cooperating'?"

Lisbon sighed, "He isn't saying anything. He won't talk to anyone, he doesn't want an attorney; he's just sitting there."

"I assume you have a plan to make him talk."

She nodded, "I do."

A gangly clerk with wire rimmed glasses and tired eyes walked into the room. Lisbon remembered that his name was Todd Farlen. "Ma'am, I brought the files on Carl Lightly and Kyle Matthews just as you asked." He looked at Hightower like a dog happy to have brought back the stick that had been thrown for him.

Lisbon flinched a little at the mentions of Lightly and Matthews. The fact that Todd was bringing Hightower the case files must have meant that she'd asked for him. It could mean that Hightower was simply catching up on the current cases…or it could mean she was questioning Lisbon's handling of the case.

"Thank you Todd," Hightower replied as he set the files on her desk.

Todd turned and smiled at Lisbon, "Good to see you Agent Lisbon."

Lisbon just nodded; she was trying to keep her feelings about Hightower looking into the cases herself. They didn't pick up the conversation again until after Todd left. "What do you have in mind to get him to talk?" Hightower asked, choosing to ignore the elephant in the room.

It was the necessary question that Lisbon didn't want to answer. It was humiliating to have to stoop this low, to have to go back down that road she thought she'd left behind. It took a lot of willpower to finally say it, "I want to bring in Jane."

Hightower's eyebrows shot clear up to her hairline, "Jane is in prison for manslaughter," she reminded her agent.

"I know."

Madeline crossed her arms and gave Lisbon a stern look, "And still you want to bring him in…why?"

Now it was time to tell the whole truth. "Jane was Matthews' cell mate, he also gave me the tip to where we could find Matthews. I think he will have a better shot at getting Matthews to talk to us about the murder."

Hightower was silent for a long time, never taking her eyes off Lisbon. "This is a risky decision. Jane is damaged goods, his actions have tainted many cases already and put the CBI under heavy investigations four years ago. Are you sure that this is what you want?"

"It's not a matter of what I want but what I need to do," Lisbon explained, "Jane knows Matthews, he believes that he can get him to talk. As many problems as Jane caused he never lied about what he could do…not when it mattered."

She nodded, "He would have to be monitored at all time, he might have been your friend once but don't forget that in the eyes of the law he is a convicted felon."

_I could never forget that _Lisbon thought but instead said, "I know ma'am."

She studied Lisbon for another moment, "Very well, bring him in." Lisbon nodded, grateful that she got what she needed with relative ease. "But if he does anything, and I mean _anything_, that could compromise the case or the CBI then it will be on your head Agent Lisbon."

"I understand," she replied, it wasn't anything she hadn't heard or faced before.

"Good," Hightower leaned back again and now became slightly less formal, "I hope you're prepared for the circus this will cause."

Lisbon wanted to put on a brave front, "I can handle him," she told her boss but inside she wondered how she would fare working closely with Jane again, even if it was temporary.

Better question: would she survive it unscathed?

* * *

><p><em>"What am I doing?"<em> Lisbon asked herself. The apparent answer was she was waiting for the bus with the imposing letters "California Department Corrections Transport" to arrive. The philosophical answer: playing with fire. That was Jane, unpredictable. One small spark from him could easily turn into a raging wildfire. One she could be burned in.

Grace had offered to wait with her but she had declined. She didn't want to give Jane the impression that they were welcoming him back. He was no longer a part of their team.

The bus rolled into the HQ back entrance and came to a stop in front of her. Lisbon knew Jane was probably watching her through the tiny slits in the side of bus so she did her best to give away nothing. Her poker face was on.

Jane stepped out the bus still in his prison jumpsuit and cuffs. He smiled when he saw her but she did not reciprocate. The guard came down after him with a clipboard. "Agent Lisbon?" he asked.

"Yes."

"I need you to sign here so this transfer is complete. Once you sign, the prisoner is your responsibility until he is returned to our custody."

Her responsibility. Jane had been just that before and look how it had turned out. _"This is only temporary,"_ she thought, _"Once he talks to Matthews you can send him back to his cell and forget this ever happened."_

She signed her name to the form. "Thanks," the guard said, "We'll call you every half hour to make sure he is still in your custody."

"That isn't necessary," Jane said, "I wouldn't dream of trying to escape."

"He already fulfilled that dream," Lisbon said. She remembered when he escaped from jail five years ago after he had bugged Boscoe's office.

She took a hold of Jane's arm and shoved him forward. "Let's go."

Lisbon led Jane to the elevator and pushed the button with the arrow pointing up. Her phone jingled to signal a new text message. Jane looked interested in the sound and followed her hands as she unhooked her phone from her belt clip. No way was he going to pry into her personal life.

She purposefully tilted the phone away from him so she could read David's text. "I miss u. I have pizza & wine ready when u get the chance."

She couldn't help but smile and his lovely offer. Maybe if Jane proved useful she would be able to get out early enough for the meal.

"What did your boyfriend say?"

Lisbon snapped her head to the right to see Jane smiling back at her. The bastard! "It's my brother, Tommy," she said.

"Come on, Lisbon, you should know better than to lie to me."

The elevator opened to spare her from responding to his humiliating inquiry. But Jane wasn't ready to call it quits. "Who is he?" he asked as they stepped on board.

"No one," she said.

"You must have met him on a case. Is he in law enforcement?" Jane asked, "No, you wouldn't date someone from your field. You'd consider it a liability. He must have been a consultant of some kind. Perhaps a—."

"Jane!" she hissed his name, "This isn't Disneyland and you aren't on vacation. You are here to help us with our investigation, that is it. You will not ask me or anyone else about their personal lives. Your job is to get Matthews to talk, then when you get back to prison it is to make license plates."

She had hoped that her stern words would shame him to some level. But he still smirked and said, "He is a doctor, isn't he?"

Lisbon rolled her eyes as the elevator doors opened again and she pushed him out. She and Jane were back on the floor they both knew so well. She didn't really have to lead him down the hallway, but it was her duty to make sure he didn't try to run so she maintained her grip on him. They walked past the squad room where her team all sat.

Rigsby, Cho and Van Pelt all looked up when he past. She noticed that he smiled and nodded as a sort of greeting. Van Pelt and Rigsby both ducked down and pretended to work but Cho kept his eye contact. He didn't nod back, but Lisbon knew that he wasn't as embarrassed as the others. He was the only one who had kept some contact with Jane, aside from the occasional birthday and Christmas card Grace had felt obligated to send him.

Everyone they passed looked at Jane but no one said a word. For Lisbon, this was the hardest walk of her life. She was grateful when they made it to the interrogation room where Matthews waited with a lone guard standing to watch over him.

Matthews immediately perked up as soon as Jane was escorted through the door. His face broke into a wide grin, "Jane!"

Jane smiled as well as he took a seat across from Matthews, "It's good to see you too Kyle, I wish they were under better circumstances."

"You have no idea, man," Kyle agreed but he was still smiling, "Why'd they bring you here?"

"I asked," Jane told him simply.

Kyle finally grew somber. He looked at Jane pitifully. "I didn't do it. I didn't kill Carl and the others."

"Oh I knew that already," He replied, waving it off as if it was nothing, "and they do too, or rather they _will_, but you need to tell me why you were there."

The other man was silent for a long time, looking down at the table as if he didn't want to meet the probing eyes of a parent. Eventually he looked back up at Jane, "I got a message in the mail. Carl…I thought it was Carl, told me to meet him there." He became oversensitive quickly, "I didn't want to, I didn't want to work for Carl again," Kyle said defensively, "but I was afraid that if I didn't go he might hurt me or something."

"It's alright," Jane explained, "that doesn't matter. What happened when you got there, what did you see?"

"I was just walking up to the spot when I saw them get out of their car…all three of them. A guy was waiting for them there," He continued, "they talked for a couple of minutes and then…then he just started shooting at them. One bullet nicked me." Kyle pulled back the sleeve of his shirt to show a white bandage wrapped around his arm, a small bit of blood still seeped through, "but I didn't care, I just wanted to get out of there."

Kyle looked ashamed, "I was afraid that the guy was going to try and kill me after seeing it so I thought I should go away for a while. I know it looks bad but I didn't do it!"

Jane ignored the defense again, "Did you see anything that could identify the shooter? Anything at all?"

He shook his head, "I didn't get a clear look at the guy…he drove away quick afterwards."

"You saw his car?"

"Yup, little blue or black thing but I don't know models and junk," then Kyle brightened considerably, "His license plate! I think I can remember part of it! Four, eight…maybe a one or a seven…then and 'R', 'T and an 'O'…or maybe a 'C'."

He beamed at Jane who smiled, "That's good Kyle." Then Jane turned to look at Lisbon with a smug satisfied expression on his face.

Lisbon was less than impressed at what Jane had been able to get out of Matthews but she told the guard to keep Kyle in lock up as she escorted Jane out of the interrogation room. Obviously Jane noticed, "What?" he asked regarding the less than happy look on her face.

"You're kidding me right?" She said more than a little exasperated with him.

"I told you Kyle was innocent, now he's given you something to do off of."

"_That_ is not a lead," Lisbon told him, "that was barely anything that was helpful and proves nothing."

"It provides reasonable doubt that Kyle could have committed the crime."

She raised an eyebrow, "How exactly?"

He just smiled, "It placed him at the scene, explained how his blood got there and why he decided to run, simple enough for any jury to believe." Then Jane switched to his cocky grin, "You didn't find a gun with him did you?"

"No," Lisbon admitted, "but that doesn't mean he didn't toss it."

"But it does mean that you have nothing concrete to tie him to the crime…just to the scene, two very different things."

Damn, she hated it when he was right. Kyle had opened up as soon as Jane had walked into the room and while the explanation he gave had been hard to swallow…it also seemed to fit. Kyle's blood at the scene had been away from where the shooter would have been and there was no evidence that he had a gun.

"Alright," Lisbon said quietly, "Hypothetically let's say I believed his story…what do _you_ think happened?"

Jane smiled proudly, "Someone wanted Kyle to be the scapegoat, someone who knew about his previous association with Carl Lightly."

"Why Lightly?"

"Because the other two were just his followers, Carl was the man in charge." Jane looked at her seriously, "someone wanted Carl dead and wanted Kyle to take the fall for it."

Lisbon listened enraptured, "Who?"

"You tell me, who had a reason to want Carl Lightly dead?"

She scoffed at him, "Lightly was a drug deal in a gang violent neighborhood. Dozens of people wanted him dead. You're telling me to track down every rival drug pusher, upset gang leader or…" Lisbon trailed off as a name popped into her head.

Jane latched onto it immediately, "Or what?" but she didn't say anything, just continued to silently lead him back to the squad room, "or what?"

When the two of them walked into the squad room, the other members of the team perked up. "Boss," Cho said quickly, "The D.A. wants to know if he should go ahead with the murder charges on Matthews."

"Tell him to go ahead with evading the police and violating parole," Lisbon replied, "but there are some more leads I want to go on with the Lightly case."

That surprised everyone but Jane, "What leads?" Rigsby asked.

Lisbon ignored his question and turned to Van Pelt, "Terri Waters, the girl who died from an overdose. Carl Lightly sold her the drugs, yes?"

"Yeah," Van Pelt continued, "but he wasn't charged with anything but possession."

"But her father was upset."

She nodded, "Harrison Waters, he said that Lightly murdered Terri…and that he should pay for it."

Lisbon took the information in, "Okay, Van Pelt you are with me. We're going to talk to Harrison Waters." She turned to Cho and Rigsby, "You two, I want to know everything about him. Find his bank records; see if he has made any unusual payments lately. If he has spoken to anybody about his threats, where he was on the night of the murder. Everything."

Before she and Van Pelt left she pointed to Jane who was by now sitting at the desk flipping through the open case file, "And watch him like a hawk, I don't want to hear about any kind of funny business while I'm gone."

Jane looked amused, "Who me?"

* * *

><p>"So, Jane gave you this lead," Grace said. They had been sitting in the car for ten minutes in total silence so it was as a good an ice breaker as any.<p>

"He was always good for that," Lisbon admitted. It had been a shock after he had left not having his strange but oddly accurate input on every case. Now it almost felt like old times…except Jane was now in prison attire instead of suits.

"Are you okay with this?" Lisbon asked her, "You and the other's aren't too uncomfortable, are you?"

Van Pelt gaped at her from the passenger side. "You are asking _me_ if I'm okay with Jane?"

"I'm your boss, I have to know if you're not alright with a given situation."

"It's weird, but I can handle it," Van Pelt said, "But what about you?"

The question was expected and had it been four years ago Lisbon could have shrugged and pretended that she was fine. But now Grace was more than just her teammate, she was her best friend. She couldn't get away with a little white lie.

"It's…hard," she admitted, "I had hoped that I wouldn't have to deal with him again. But I'll be fine."

"Are you going to—?"

"Nope," she cut in to say, "It's none of his business."

"You know he won't be in prison forever," Grace reminded her, "He'll be up for parole in three years."

"I'll deal with that when it happens."

Van Pelt was silent for several moments then she finally said, "He isn't a bad guy."

No, he wasn't. Jane had just made a bad mistake, one difficult for her to forgive. But even she had to admit that he wasn't evil. Red John had deserved to die, no one could deny that. But it wasn't the crime that was the problem. Jane had made such a grand mess of things, things even he didn't know about yet.

"He'll go soon," Lisbon said, "And we can continue as we have. It's better this way."

Either Grace had no feasible argument or she agreed with her because she said nothing in reply. The rest of the trip continued in total silence.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Harrison Waters worked as the economics chairman for a company that sold high-end sports equipment. Lisbon could tell that business was doing very well indeed if he could afford original paintings on the wall and use a Montblanc pen. He did not look pleased at all to see Lisbon and Van Pelt, he also didn't look surprised.

"I'm Agent Teresa Lisbon, this is Agent Van Pelt from the CBI," she told him, "We're here to talk to you about the murder of Carl Lightly."

He put his three hundred dollar pen down and gave her a hard stare, "I heard about him on the news. Was he really shot?"

Van Pelt was not sure how to respond and settled for the obvious, "Yes he was."

"Hmm," he muttered, "I hope it was slow…he deserved to die slowly like Terri did."

Lisbon ignored his comment, "Mr. Waters, we want to know where you were the night Carl Lightly was shot."

Waters leaned back in his high-end chair, "You think I did it?"

"I didn't say that," Lisbon told him, she knew how to dance around an issue as well as any cop, "but I need you to answer the question."

If it was possible his eyes grew even colder, "Lightly killed my daughter, he gave her drugs that were too pure and _you_ refused to prosecute."

"The lab tests were inconclusive," Van Pelt defended the D.A. even if she didn't have anything personally invested in it.

"It doesn't matter," He exclaimed, "He sold her the drugs, he killed her."

"Mr. Waters," Lisbon stepped in, frustrated with his evasive maneuvers, "I'll ask you _again_, where were you the night Carl Lightly was killed?"

Waters glared at her, "I'm not saying anything without my lawyer."

It was an expected thing for him to do but it still made Lisbon suspicious of his motives. She'd seen men of power refuse to answer simple questions before and they'd turned out innocent. But Jane had never thought they were guilty either.

She simply nodded, "Alright then we'll question you with your lawyer present." Then she pulled the rug out from under him, "But not here, he'll have to meet us at the department."

If he was going to be uncooperative then she was going to make this as uncomfortable for him as possible.

* * *

><p>The wait in the interrogation room was excruciating but Lisbon learned that lawyers liked to take their sweet time. She took satisfaction to know that Harrison Waters was getting just as frustrated as she was. When his lawyer did arrive, a slick looking man in his forties unfortunately named Harry Baals, Waters perked up.<p>

"I would like the state for the record that my client has no knowledge whatsoever about the murder of Carl Lightly," Baals said.

"Good," Lisbon replied, "then he won't mind telling us about the threats he made against Lightly last year."

Waters sat up defensively and began to speak but his lawyer cut in, "You don't have to answer that."

"No I want to," Waters told him, he then steadies his gaze with Lisbon, "I consider Lightly the murderer of my daughter and when I learned he died I celebrated with champagne and cigars…"

"Harrison," Baals warned, trying to cut down on the incriminating talk.

He ignored the advice, "Terry was a good girl…she did a lot of bad things, got mixed up with the wrong kinds of people but…that wasn't who she really was. She didn't deserve to die like that…and _he _did it…he killed her by giving her that crap. He killed her and your justice system wouldn't catch him." He looked at her steadily but his hands were shaking, "I _wanted_ to kill him…I would have done so gladly." But he grew somber again, "I celebrated," Waters repeated, "but that was all. I didn't kill him."

Lisbon didn't blink, just kept her eyes firmly on his, "Then tell me where you were the night Lightly was killed."

Waters maintained eye contact, "I was at a business function, a celebration for a colleague's award at the Citizen Hotel. I was there until one in the morning. There are multiple witnesses," He told her smugly.

"So unless my client has the ability to be in two places at once, he couldn't have been the one who killed Carl Lightly and his friends," Baals finished, "We're done here."

With nothing concrete to hold him on and apparent airtight alibi, Lisbon was forced to escort both of them out of the interrogation room. They walked past the squad room where her team and Jane were sitting. In his prison attire Jane was a hard sight to miss and Waters looked his way and then stopped, "You're…"

Jane smiled and stood up, "Patrick Jane, nice to meet you."

"You're the man who shot that serial killer," Waters finished and smiled broadly, "I got to say that I like your style. I can't believe they locked you up for taking that bastard out."

"Well the State of California's brand of justice differs with my own," Jane replied simply but unapologetically, something Lisbon winced at.

Harrison shook his head, "Well man to man…you did the right thing." He shook Jane's hand, "You need any help, just give me a call."

"Oh well thanks but I'll be alright," Jane told him and patted him lightly on the shoulder before Waters' lawyer continued to lead him down the hallway and out of the building.

Lisbon glared at Jane and his _fan_, "Well that was unproductive," she muttered and took a seat at one of the desks. "According to his lawyer Mr. Harry Baals…"

Jane's eyes sparkled with mischief, "His parents never gave him a chance, with a name like that no wonder he's a lawyer."

Grace tried to hide her smile behind a cup of coffee while Rigsby broke into uncontrollable coughs. Lisbon did everything she could to keep from reacting to Jane's joke but couldn't hide the twitching of her lips. "Anyways," she said testily, putting everything back to business, "Mr. Waters was at an awards ceremony the night Lightly, Underwood and Martinéz were killed."

"So he didn't hold the gun," Rigsby replied, "that doesn't mean he didn't hire someone to kill them."

That perked her up, "Did you find anything in his financials?"

"He moved some money around last week," he explained, "we couldn't trace it all the way…but it was enough to hire a gun for the job."

It was something but it wouldn't do them much good if they couldn't find out who the money was traced to. She began to feel that sinking pit in her stomach again, that they might hit that brick wall they couldn't get past.

"You could look through his phone records," Jane said as if reading her thoughts…actually he probably had.

She sighed, "That would be a good idea _if_ we had probable cause which we don't."

"Nonsense, just look through his call record," and Jane held up Waters' cell phone with a grin.

Lisbon could hardly believe what she was seeing, "Where did you get that?"

"He left it in interrogation."

"No he didn't!"

"Fine so I picked his pocket," he replied like it was no big deal, "He didn't notice."

"What you are holding is a misdemeanor," Lisbon told him icily, "Do you know what that is? One step below what you are _serving_!"

"Eh semantics," Jane brushed it aside, "I'll bet that the name we are looking for is on his cell records. If he was at that business party the night of the murder, he certainly had the shooter call him afterwards."

It was unthinkable! One day and Jane was back to picking a suspect's pocket for evidence! He was uncontrollable and unashamed about it; she couldn't go along with it. It was her inability to manage him that had put him in prison for the past four years. She couldn't condone it. Wouldn't condone it.

"Van Pelt tell Mr. Waters that he left his cell phone in interrogation," Lisbon told her younger agent and then paused for a moment. She was going to regret this, "_After_ you get the numbers from it."

Jane gave her a smug grin and happily handed over the phone. Lisbon shook her head, "You know I'd forgotten what it was like to have the D.A. yelling at me."

He smiled. "Good times."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

It was a couple of hours of checking phone numbers and names against the partial license plate numbers Matthews had provided. Lisbon had mixed feelings about what she wanted the outcome to be. She wanted the case to be over…but she didn't want Jane to be right. But her personal feelings were always meaningless to solving a case, and if she had to eat crow then she would do it.

It was Grace who spoke up first, "I might have something."

Lisbon walked over to her desk, "What do you mean _might_?"

She hesitated, "He called Waters the night of the murder and his license plate is close to the one Matthews provided."

"And that's a problem?"

Grace sighed and showed Lisbon the name, "I just can't believe _he_ would do this."

Lisbon looked down at the name and shook her head. She understood Grace's hesitancy but knew in her gut they'd found the right man, "Eventually you'll realize that anyone is capable of anything."

* * *

><p>It only took a few hours before Lisbon was facing him in interrogation. He sat silently, looking down at the tabletop while she kept her eyes on his, pronouncing the gravity of the situation. "There are a couple ways we can do this…you can cooperate now, or we can put you through a trial later and with the evidence we have now…don't expect a verdict you will like.<p>

"We found your phone number on Harrison Waters' cell phone the night of the shooting, when we trace the location I'm willing to bet it will be somewhere near the crime scene," She continued effortlessly. "We found gunshot residue on the outside of your car which gave us enough to search it…inside we found a gun. The same make and model of the one that shot Javier Ramiréz, Ryan Underwood and Carl Lightly, forensics is running tests on in and I am certain the bullets will match the ones we pulled out of their chests."

Lisbon took a seat across from him and set some blank pages down, "I know you did this and I think I know why. You spend everyday listening to these cases, watching criminals whom everyone knows is guilty…go free because of red tape or human error or maybe even an unsure D.A. It's frustrating…and it makes sense why someone like Harrison Waters could convince you to do something like this."

She looked Todd Farlen in the eye; "You don't have to remain silent for him…because he won't for you. He _manipulated_ you Todd, he preyed on your sympathies for his own gain. He isn't going to help you…not now." Lisbon sighed, "So you need to help yourself."

Todd continued to stare at the table for what seemed like a full ten minutes before he looked up at her. "I just wanted…justice. These people…they can get away with it for the stupidest reasons. Look at O.J. Simpson or Casey Anthony, everyone knows she did it but she still walked away.

"I wanted to help him," he explained, "he told me about his daughter, told me about the man who killed her. I filed the court papers; I knew what kind of man he was. All I wanted to do was help…I told him that…then he told me how I could."

He looked away, "I didn't want to…but he said it would save people, save other girls like Terri. I thought I was helping someone, I thought I was doing the right thing."

Lisbon understood him, she really did, "But that's not your choice to make…vengeance isn't justice and it never will be."

He smiled bitterly, "An eye or an eye and the whole world goes blind right?"

She nodded, "Right." Lisbon pushed the blank papers and the pen towards him, "Help yourself, tell me who you did this for and I'll talk to the D.A. for you."

Todd hesitated once more…and then slowly picked up the pen.

* * *

><p>It was a shame that Lisbon wouldn't let Jane into the interrogation, it was boring simply waiting for her to come out with the confession. She had forced him to wait with the rest of the team and only Cho was welcoming.<p>

It wasn't unexpected. Rigsby was more rigid like Lisbon. A crime was a crime and now Jane was a criminal. It would take time but he could earn his forgiveness. Van Pelt would be tougher. The past few years had placed her firmly in Lisbon's camp. They shared some sort of bond now. He knew it dealt with Lisbon's secret.

Cho was busy doing paper work, tedious and useless really. "Things haven't changed much here," he said to start a conversation.

"They put in a new coffee maker," Cho said.

He smiled at his frankness. "Anything else?"

"They changed the products in the vending machine."

"Besides mundane objects."

Cho finally looked up from his work and said, "Yeah, things have changed. We all have changed."

Yes, Grace wasn't quite as bouncy as she used to be. Jane guess that she hadn't dated much—if at all—since O'Laughlin. Rigsby was quieter, especially around him. Even Cho kept his cards closer to his breast. Lisbon was Lisbon: furious and more desperate than ever to keep him out of her head. Of course, that only made him more determined to unravel her thoughts completely.

"Yes, you all have," Jane agreed, "Lisbon and Van Pelt are closer than ever."

"Van Pelt needed a friend after…"

No need to continue that sentence. "But Lisbon has changed too," Jane said.

"I guess."

Now Cho was being evasive. How interesting. What exactly was Lisbon trying to hide? Her boyfriend perhaps. Was he more than that? Perhaps Lisbon was engaged. That idea didn't sit well with Jane. He had noticed she didn't have a ring, but she simply may not wear it on the job or she didn't want one. Lisbon wasn't very comfortable with femininity.

"Tell me about Lisbon's boyfriend." The direct approach might get Cho to spill more important details.

He looked up again. "She told you about him?" Jane just grinned in reply. "You guessed again," he deduced, "There really isn't much to tell."

"But she _is_ keeping something."

Cho stared at him in silence for several moments with his dark eyes stone cold. That said everything. Yes, he understood Jane's motives and was willing to keep a connection to him, but he wasn't going to betray Lisbon. Not in this.

"That's alright," he said with a shrug, "I'll figure it out myself."

Any further conversation to gain insight was cut short when Lisbon arrived. She held a folder in one hand which she placed on Rigsby's desk. "Farlen confessed. Call the DA and get a warrant for Harrison Waters' arrest."

"Got it, boss."

Jane smiled at her. "Just like old times, huh?"

Just like old times, Lisbon was not amused by his cockiness. "The good days are coming to an end," she said, "You served your purpose, now it's time you went back to serving your sentence."

"Can't I stay for Water's interrogation?"

"Nope," Lisbon said, now looking smug herself, "I already called the prison, they should be here soon."

Jane leaned back in his chair. "That is underhanded. I got you this far, now you won't let me see it through."

"Get over it," she said, "Cho, you take him down to the garage and wait until the bus arrives."

"Yes, boss," he said and promptly stood up from his chair. He took a hold of Jane's arm to help him up. Jane didn't protest when he led him away from the squad room, but when they past Lisbon he forced Cho to stop. "I'm going to hold you to your promise," he said to her.

He winked at her before he let Cho lead him away.

* * *

><p>Harrison Waters was dragged through the CBI in handcuffs and he spent the majority of that time cursing anyone and everyone that crossed his path. Lisbon was all too happy to lead him down to booking and leave him there for the guards to deal with; she was ready to put this case to bed.<p>

But something was bothering her and she knew what it was. Jane was expecting her to go and see him as per their agreement…she just wasn't sure if she wanted to go. What could he do? He was behind bars, there was no way he could force her to come and talk to him.

She didn't want to go, didn't want to let him in her head again. Jane would find ways to mess with her mind and ruin the semblance of a life she had picked up after he had left a trail of destruction in his wake four years ago.

But he was the one who solved the case…and she didn't like to break a promise.

Lisbon put those thoughts aside for the moment. Rigsby and Cho were picking up case closed pizza and she had a much more pleasant loose end about the case to tie up.

Kyle Matthews was taken from a holding cell and brought back to the gate where he could collect his things. She smiled happily at him as he collected his watch, wallet and keys. He looked a little bewildered by everything and she wasn't surprised, Jane had been right, in some ways he was like a lost little boy just trying to plod along until someone could tell him how to get home.

"Agent Lisbon," He said as soon as he stepped through the gate.

"I spoke with the D.A," she told him and led him down the hall into the building, "He's agreed to drop the evasion charges as long as you agree to an extension of parole and pay a small fine."

"Really?" He asked excitedly, "I won't have to go back to prison?"

Lisbon smiled and shook her head, "Running away wasn't the best idea…but you didn't really do anything wrong."

"Thank you!" Kyle gushed, "thank you so much."

Lisbon listened to him talk about how grateful he was as she continued to lead him out of the CBI, stopping by the squad room where she saw Rigsby and Cho coming in with the pizza box and Grace watching her curiously. "It's alright," She told Kyle, "but next time, try to trust us, we aren't all bad." She smiled to put him at ease.

"I know that," He explained, "but again, thank you." Kyle looked at the rest of the team with the same gratitude, "Thank you all. Jane talked about you guys a lot. He said you were the best…he was right. I'm glad you were the ones who found me." He turned to Lisbon, "Thank him for me."

She was startled a bit by his mention of Jane and his request; it came with the assumption that she would be seeing Jane again. It only reminded her of the promise she was supposed to keep. "I'll do my best," she settled on that answer.

He nodded and waved, "Goodbye…and thanks again." Then they all watched him leave with the smell of pepperoni and cheese filling the air.

Lisbon turned to the pizza box that was on Grace's desk, "Let's start passing this out because I'm hungry," she told the team and began hunting for paper plates.

Rigsby simply grabbed a slice from the box and immediately began munching on it while Cho walked over to the break room for the soda he'd left in the fridge earlier. Grace continued to stare at the hallway where Kyle had just disappeared down, and then she turned to Lisbon with a somber expression, "He talked about us," she said simply.

Lisbon nodded, "I know." She sighed heavily, "Jane put himself in this mess and almost dragged all of us with him. As much as he cares about us…there were some things that meant a lot more to him. We can't help him now…we have to help ourselves."

Grace seemed to accept that answer for the time being and turned her attention to the pizza but Lisbon's thoughts remained troubled. She could talk a big game but she wasn't sure how she felt about Jane anymore.

* * *

><p>The day after the arrest of Harrison Waters, Lisbon finished filling out the remaining paperwork as her team cheerfully returned to their desks after a night's celebration of a job well done. She watched them for a moment, reflecting on the fact that she was well and truly blessed to have a team like them.<p>

Which is why she knew she could count on them. They had been there for her when she'd desperately needed it, they had kept her secrets and together they had all worked to overcome the difficulties of the past few years.

They deserved better than what they got but Lisbon wisely chose to be grateful that it meant she had them now.

Lisbon rose from her desk, grabbing her purse, phone, badge and gun before entering the squad room. "I'll be stepping out for a while. Cho, hold down the fort for me while I'm gone. If anything comes up then call my cell."

"Where you going boss?" Rigsby asked innocently.

"I've got a loose end I need to tie up with the Matthews case," Lisbon explained no further.

"What kind of loose end?" Cho said, his usually stoic voice was tinged with curiosity.

"A promise," Lisbon told them before nodding goodbye and heading for the door.

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Once again Lisbon went through the process of being admitted as a visitor at the State Prison. She turned in her gun and signed the log only to sit and wait in the uncomfortable plastic chair for the guards to bring Jane out.

The same two guards escorted him through the door and to the visiting area. Jane was smiling again, a pleased smile that made Lisbon feel slightly irritated that she had done as he asked. He picked up the phone but kept his eyes on her, "You kept your promise."

"I tend to do that," she told him, letting her displeasure be known.

Jane chuckled, "That's good, you are being funny and cynical again."

Lisbon sighed exasperated, "Alright Jane, I'm here. What did you want to talk about?"

He shrugged, "I didn't have any particular subject in mind."

Lisbon couldn't believe what he had just said, "Then why the hell am I here?"

"I wanted to see you."

"Well I didn't," Lisbon told him firmly.

"I know that," Jane replied, "but you needed to see me Lisbon."

She scoffed, "Why would I need to do that?"

He leaned forward and bored his eyes into hers, "You've been carrying around so much anger and pent up rage. You need to let it out, let it go before it consumes you."

"Are you giving me permission to shoot you?" Jane laughed again but she didn't, "I was being serious."

"I know," Jane replied and grew somber but his eyes were still warm, "but you wouldn't even if you could. So many questions are plaguing your mind. So go ahead, ask them."

Lisbon shook her head, "I don't have any questions."

"Yes you do."

It was never a good idea to lie to Jane; he had worked with her for so long that he knew her tells better than anyone. And he was right; she did have a lot of anger...and questions. But mostly anger. She was angry that he had killed a man, angry that his actions had cause so much chaos and she was angry that she hadn't been able to stop him.

"Why," She finally asked, "Why did you do it?"

It was a foolish question but Jane indulged her, "You already know why."

She just nodded; there was no reason to explain further on that matter. Jane's motives hadn't changed since the first time he had told her his intentions. She had always hoped that somehow he would see reason, that he would change his mind. Or at the very least, that she would be there to stop him. But in the end all hope had been in vain.

"Then do you have any idea what you've done, what you did?" Her voice broke a little and Lisbon silently cursed her own weakness.

"I killed Red John," Jane state simply.

"No, no you murdered him," she corrected, "You shot him in the middle of a mall."

"He deserved to die."

"I don't care if he deserved it," Lisbon declared, "that does not give you the right to kill a man in cold blood!"

Jane was silent for a moment as he studied her. She knew he was reading her, stripping the truth from her like one would strip paint from a wall. "That's not it or at least not all of it. Tell me what you blame me for."

She shook her head but did not look at him. She curled her fingers into a fist and tried to control her anger...but could not hide her pain. Tears pricked at her eyes when she finally met his gaze, "Do you have any idea what your actions caused? Do you think that what you did only affected you? You are the most selfish man I have ever met. When you killed him you only thought of yourself, of your pain. Not the innocents he killed or the problems you would cause. You only thought about what you wanted and not for those who cared about you!"

Jane was calm but serious, "What happened?"

Lisbon brushed a tear away, "Do you even care?" He didn't reply but she knew she had hurt him. She hated that she felt guilty for that; she shouldn't care what her words did to him. But her tone was softer when she spoke; "There was an investigation by Internal Affairs into the team and the department." Jane didn't say anything but she explained, "They said we were responsible for your actions because you were under our employ. I thought I was going to be fired but Hightower came forward and testified that since we were following the command for protection detail and had no knowledge of Red John's whereabouts, we could not be held accountable.

"It didn't stop the black marks on our records. Two years ago Cho was passed over for promotion, the reason being that his leadership skills were in question because he had not stayed behind to watch over you. He didn't take it well but he is doing better now."

She shook her head. "Then there were all of the appeals. Killers that you helped put away who said that your crime put your judgment and work into doubt. They tried to have their convictions overturned, a couple of them succeeded." Jane still didn't say anything, was no longer looking in her eyes, she began to wonder if he was even listening, "Don't you understand, it all could have been prevented if you'd let him go, if you had called it in."

"If I had let him walk away then we would never have found him again." Jane insisted sincerely.

"You don't know that."

"Yes I do, he would have disappeared completely and there would be no justice otherwise."

"Except that wasn't justice, that was revenge!" Lisbon reminded him.

"Call it what you will," Jane replied, "but we never would have seen him again." He leaned forward to look her in the eye, "I'm sorry for what happened but you have weathered through it. I told you I would sacrifice anything, my freedom and my life to get to Red John and I did. He cannot kill again and I can find my own peace. Those sacrifices were more than worth it."

He leaned back in his seat clearly satisfied with his answer and himself. Lisbon knew he had meant every word; he was proud of his actions and relished his revenge. But she had one card yet to play that might very well destroy that happiness.

It was a horrible thing for her to do. Everyone would say so, but she wanted him to understand. She wanted him to know that he couldn't sweep his actions under the rug. He had to feel some regret…even if she did too.

She looked at him, tears filing her eyes once again and spoke very softly, "And what about your son?" Jane's head shot up as he reacted to her words, looking at her again. "Was his sacrifice worth it?" she finished and let the silence that followed echo her words.

Jane didn't tear his eyes away but searched every line, every contour of her face, searching for a lie. Lisbon knew immediately when he realized she was telling the truth because fear crept into his eyes, "Lisbon..." he began in a pleading tone.

"You remember that night after we closed the Haleston case," She said, another tear snaked down her cheek, "You drove me home and came inside..." Lisbon closed her eyes and more tears fell, "We said it was nothing, we wouldn't speak of it again, wouldn't let it affect our work."

"Lisbon, no..." Jane begged, slowly shaking his head. She didn't care what he wanted; he was going to know the full extend of his 'sacrifice'.

"I found out I was pregnant the day you killed Red John," Lisbon brushed away the tears now and did her best to keep her voice steady, "And then to find out what you did...I was _alone_ Jane. I had to deal with it all on my own."

They sat in silence for several moments, a time that was only filled with the two refusing to break eye contact with one another, as if waiting for the other break first. Lisbon saw the pain fill Jane's eyes, the devastation at her confession. "Why," Jane asked, his voice barely in restraint, "Why did you tell me this?"

She never let her gaze falter, "Because you needed to know the consequences of your actions, the life that you threw away and why my son will never know his father." For the first time in the entire visit Lisbon smiled even with tears still falling, "Goodbye Jane, I won't come here again."

And with that Lisbon hung up the receiver and walked away, never once looking back.

Jane watched her go until the guards came to escort him back to his cell. Jane walked with them numbly, not seeing or hearing anything but Lisbon's words in his mind.

The door was locked behind him with a loud metallic clang that served to jar Jane for once. He lay down on his bunk to stare up at the ceiling, wishing it were yesterday when his sins had not caused him so much pain.

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Lisbon didn't break down completely until she reached her car parked outside the prison. She didn't even bother to get in but leaned forward against he window, buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

They were not the first tears caused by Patrick Jane.

She could not swear they would be her last.

* * *

><p>Lisbon returned to her office with an even heavier heart then when she had left. Cho, Grace and Rigsby said not a word but she could tell that they knew where she had gone.<p>

She sat back down at her desk and tried to busy herself with paperwork but the tediousness of the work did not occupy her mind so her thoughts remained troubled. Sitting proudly on her desk was a photograph of her son, grinning happily in front of his last birthday cake. She smiled at the photo, picked it up and gently ran her fingertips over his hair, his round baby cheeks and beautiful smile.

On the other side of her desk was a smaller photograph in an ill fitted frame. It had been taken at the CBI Christmas party over four years ago and it showed her whole team lined up and smiling in front of the Christmas tree. Rigsby on one end, herself on the other with Grace and Cho in the middle…at least it was that way now.

Lisbon reached over and took the photograph, opening the back so she could take it from the frame. Then the reason for it's ill fit was revealed with one side of it bent over. She straightened it out for it's true form and now Jane was standing with the others right beside her, just as her team had once been.

She placed both photographs side-by-side and marveled at them. They looked so much alike, Tyler and Jane. The same unruly blond hair, intoxicating smiles and clear beautiful features. As much as she wanted to forget Jane, as long as her son was in her life that would be impossible.

Her team had been so good for her. They never asked why, never begrudged her one moment of weakness. They had carried her through it all. She wouldn't have been able to do it without them; she knew that.

Grace walked into the room softly and set a small stack of papers on the desk, "Lisbon," she spoke just as quietly.

Her boss didn't look up from her photographs but spoke before Grace could leave, "Why did you do it? When I told you what I had done with Jane, why did you stand by me?"

Grace smiled, "Because we care about you, we couldn't leave you alone."

"Do you think it's my fault? I knew what he would do but I wasn't able to stop him."

"The only person responsible is Jane," She replied, "you should not feel guilt because you have none to bear."

Finally Lisbon looked up at Grace and smiled, "Thank you. Thank you for standing by me and each other when we needed it. Thank you for not judging me when you could have. Thank you." She repeated with all sincerity.

Grace nodded, "Anytime Teresa." And she began to walk away but turned at the doorway with a small but genuine smile, "And I mean that."

Lisbon watched her go for a moment before looking back down at the photographs. She smiled sweetly at her son once more before setting it down again. She turned her attention to the other picture and studied Jane's face.

_If only you hadn't done it,_ she thought, _you don't know what you've lost._

Then she folded the picture back and returned it to its frame and its spot on her desk. But she continued to look at her team's smiling faces. Once again she reflected on how blessed she was to have them with her. She couldn't imagine life without them.

* * *

><p>Patrick Jane ignored the call for meal, the inquiries of the guards and his own cellmate. He lay on his bed, just thinking. Thinking. And feeling. He didn't particularly like to give himself over to his emotions, but some times it was impossible not to. It had been impossible to ignore the rage when he faced Red John. It was equally impossible now not to feel the pain.<p>

He had many questions that had no answers. He didn't know his son's name, what he looked like, his favorite color, if he preferred cereal or oatmeal for breakfast. Many big and small things a father should know. And yes, Lisbon had been right, that was of his own doing.

He gave himself twelve hours to think and feel.

Then he sat up from his cot and smiled. There was only one solution for him, only one thing that had to be done.

Teresa Lisbon had thrown down the gauntlet and left, assuming that things were done between them.

She was dead wrong.

* * *

><p>AN: Hehehe Lisbon doesn't know what's coming to her...but what does Jane plan? You'll have to wait and see. Next chapter you get to meet Tyler for the first time I promise. Please review, they make me smile.


	2. The Best Laid Plans

Disclaimer: We own nothing, we just like to play with the characters every once and a while

A/N Nerwen Aldarion: I just can't put this story down! I'm so glad that you guys seemed to like it, things get even more interesting now that Jane knows about his son of course, he hasn't learned all of the consequences to his actions yet...but he'll find out soon.

A/N Tinuviel Undomiel: Maybe it's the upcoming season that has us so jazzed with this story. Less than a month guys, less than a month. I know I'm excited. In this chapter you will finally meet Lisbon and Jane's son and see more about the team. We all know why Lisbon is mad at Jane, but what about the others? You'll all see that soon in here and in upcoming chapters. Prepare yourselves for this wild ride.

* * *

><p>Chapter 2: The Best Laid Plans<p>

Lisbon's alarm sounded, reluctantly pulling her from her dreams. The night had been troubling. Ever since she had last seen Jane in prison she had been replaying it over and over in her mind, unable to shake her mental video of it. Always she stopped on his face and the anguish written on it. Maybe he had deserved it, but it had been a terrible thing to do.

She lay in her bed for a few moments and debated calling in sick, something she never did even when she was ill. She was only tired from lack of sleep, not weighed down by guilt. Patrick Jane had no power of her.

Lisbon got up from her bed, straightened the covers and then took her morning shower. Once she was dry and dressed, she walked down the hall to her son's bedroom.

Tyler was still sleeping in his red racecar bed. The team had helped her decorate the room like it was a NASCAR arena, even with a mural of fellow racers coming towards the bed, as if trying to steal Tyler's first place position. His toys were all put away in a neat little toy box or stacked up on a shelf. The only thing out of place was a black top hat on the floor next to the bed and a black a white magician's wand tucked under his arm. She smiled at the innocent picture he made. His new found love for magic had come to fruition when David had taken him to a magic show and now Tyler wanted to be the next Houdini.

She knelt down and pulled the covers away from him before ruffling his blond curls. "Good morning, sleepy head."

Tyler let out a groggy little moan and rubbed his eyes. "Hi mommy."

"What do you want for breakfast? Eggs and toast or cereal?"

"Eggs," he said with a grin.

"Good choice," she said before scooping him up and carrying him downstairs to the kitchen. Tyler sat in his booster seat at the counter and played with his magic wand. He waved it over a little army man.

"Abra cadabra shazam!" he cried. The green plastic man sat there. "Mommy, my spell didn't work."

"What was he supposed to do?" Lisbon asked.

"Disappear."

She smiled a little to herself. "You forgot to close your eyes, sweetie. Try again."

Tyler shut his green eyes as tight as they would go. "Abra cadabra shazam!" When he looked down at the counter his army man was gone. "It worked, mommy! I made him disappear."

Lisbon fingered the plastic soldier in her pocket and said, "I knew you could, Tyler."

She put the scrambled eggs and toast on his Elmo plate and handed it to him. "Eat up. Magicians always eat every bite of their breakfast."

There was a knock on the door just before it opened. "Hello!"

"Nattie!" Tyler said and gave his nanny a big wave.

"Hey Ty, what's up kiddo?" Natalie asked him.

"I made my toy disappear."

"Wow, you'll be on tour in no time." She kissed his round cheek and then smiled at Lisbon. "Hi, Teresa."

"Hey, Natalie, how's school going for you?"

"Good," she said, "Books cost a fortune, teachers are tough, but I'm handling it alright."

"Graduate school doesn't last forever," Lisbon promised, "Keep focusing on that dream."

"Children's counselor," Natalie said, "I want it so bad I can taste it."

Lisbon laughed at her youthful optimism. She remembered when she was that young and working hard for that degree in criminal justice. School seemed like an endless tidal wave of books, tests and anxiety then. Now the real world was far more scarier.

"Well I'm off," Lisbon said, "Make sure Tyler finishes his breakfast. His nap is at two and there are some cookies in the pantry for dessert, but only after dinner."

"Of course," Natalie said, "I was thinking about setting up the kiddie pool outside. Would that be alright?"

"Yeah, that would be great," Lisbon said. She scooped up her bag and slung it on her shoulder. "Bye, Tyler," she said and kissed his cheek, "Mommy has to catch the bad guys."

"Bye bye, mommy," he said and hugged her neck.

"If all goes well, I'll be back by eight," Lisbon said, "You don't have class tonight do you?"

"Nope, I can stay as long as you need me."

"Hopefully it won't be too long," she said and then gave Tyler one last wave before leaving the apartment.

* * *

><p>Lisbon stepped into the squad room with a cup of coffee in her hand and a good attitude; today would be a good day. Maybe it was a silly idea but she willed it to happen, that she wouldn't have a heavy caseload so she could take off early and see her son. Maybe David could come over too and all three of them would have a quiet evening together.<p>

She smiled brightly at the thought and her teammates noticed, "Someone is in a good mood," Grace pointed out cheerily.

"I don't know what you are talking about," Lisbon teased and picked up some paperwork to at least make it appear like she was busy.

"Did David make a house call last night or did you just wake up on the right side of the bed this morning?" Grace asked with a wry grin.

She blushed but shook her head, "No he didn't and if he did I wouldn't tell you anyways."

Grace laughed, "Alright, so what is it? Whatever it is you're taking I want it."

Lisbon just rolled her eyes, "I just had a good morning, I have a wonderful son that is the bright spot of my life…what more do I need?"

"You forgot that you have a handsome doctor boyfriend that worships the ground you walk on."

Lisbon blushed again, "I don't have to listen to this," before turning away with an embarrassed grin.

"Are you done talking about make up or whatever it is you girls talk about?" Rigsby called out, taking a big bite of his cream cheese smeared bagel.

Grace gave him an indignant look, "Is that all you think we talk about? Make up?"

"No," he replied, "But it's usually a good guess."

She balled up a piece of paper and threw it at him, hitting him square on the forehead. Rigsby retaliated by throwing it right back but missing her as it went long and to the left. Grace laughed and was prepared to make another paper missile but Lisbon cut in, "Alright settle down, this isn't high school. We are adults, remember that."

"That's right," Cho replied not looking up from the newspaper he was reading, "listen to your mother."

Lisbon turned to Cho with surprise, she pretended to be insulted, "Okay then, all of the boring paperwork goes to Cho." And she playfully patted his chair for emphasis.

"Sounds good to me!" Rigsby declared and hefted a large stack of it onto Cho's desk.

Her phone rang and she was still laughing as she answered it, "Lisbon." The team waited in silence for her to finish with her call. "Alright," she said, "yeah we'll be there." She hung up and turned to her team.

"We got a case?" Van Pelt asked.

"A man was found dead in his home in Sutter Woods," Lisbon explained, "We leave in fifteen minutes."

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The crime scene was a small one-story home that was situated in a nice little suburb with a lot of trees and quiet evenings. It was the kind of place that couples moved to after the kids moved out but before they retired away to their dream home. It wasn't the place anyone would expect to find a murder scene.

Lisbon stopped the car on the curb outside of the house and walked up the sidewalk with Van Pelt beside her. Cho and Rigsby pulled up in a separate car a few seconds later. The yard was filled with police officers and crime scene specialists as they buzzed in and out of the home like bees in a hive.

One uniformed officer met them at the door, "I'm Agent Lisbon with the CBI, my team Agents Cho, Rigsby and Van Pelt."

He nodded but seemed to be shaken up. Lisbon thought this might be his first homicide, "I'm Officer Conway," he told her.

"Officer Conway," she repeated calmly, "would you mind telling us what happened here?"

He nodded, "The uh…the victim is Peter Hendricks, he's forty-seven. His wife found him here when she came home this morning."

"She was away?" Lisbon asked as he led them into the kitchen.

"She went to a convention in Carson City with some friends, arrived home and found him like this."

Peter Hendricks lay sprawled on the floor, a large pool of blood congealing around him. A large kitchen knife lay in the middle of the puddle, completely covered by the red liquid. The coppery smell was almost overpowering but it was something Lisbon had learned to get used to.

"We…we uh think that he might have heard an intruder, came in and was stabbed," Conway explained. He couldn't take his eyes off the body on the floor as if he was still having a hard time believing that there was an actual murder scene in front of him.

"It's possible," Lisbon replied but didn't say anything more. It was a common assumption to believe that it was simply a random intruder but in her experience, assumptions led to nowhere without facts.

Van Pelt watched Conway with a concerned expression, "Are you going to be okay?" she inquired.

He nodded, "The guys at the precinct just…they want you to catch him," Conway shrugged sadly, "He's family."

"He was a cop?" Rigsby asked.

"No," Conway told him, "he was a guard, he worked over at the State Prison. The one in Represa."

Lisbon nodded as her stomach twisted in a knot, "I know where it is."

He nodded, "Of course you do." Conway looked back to the body with the same look of fascination and horror, "Do you…do you need me or can I…?"

"We can take it from here," Lisbon told him gently.

Conway smiled relieved and gladly left them to search the scene themselves. Lisbon peered over the body carefully, "Looks like he was stabbed multiple times but Wallace can confirm that when we take the body back."

The rest of her team was searching the kitchen and surrounding rooms, "The living room is a mess," Cho said as he stepped into the kitchen.

"Fits the theory that this was an intruder," Rigsby pointed out.

"Let's see where the evidence takes us," Lisbon said. "We'll talk to the wife, see if she can confirm that anything is missing, check the locks see if there is any signs of forced entry. Later we can talk to his co-workers, maybe someone has a grudge against him."

Rigsby and Cho nodded and immediately headed for the front and back doors to look for any signs of an intruder. Grace turned to Lisbon with questioning eyes, "He worked at State Prison…that's where Jane is."

"Yes," Lisbon said not looking at her friend, "it is."

Grace didn't say anything else but quietly went about her work. Inside, Lisbon's mind was churning with thoughts. Mostly it was a rant against God.

It had only been three weeks since fate had thrown her and Jane together again…now it was like God wanted to remind her all over again.

And it had started off such a nice morning.

* * *

><p>A couple of hours later the team was standing outside the house tying up the loose ends at the crime scene with the officers before preparing to head out back to HQ. "Make sure the body is delivered to Dr. Wallace right away," Lisbon told the two interns that were loading the victim into the back of the coroner's van, "tell her that he's a state employee so he get's priority."<p>

"Yes ma'am," the younger one replied before pulling the gurney into the back of the van.

Lisbon turned to Officer Conway who still looked shaken but had some color back in his face now, "Officer Conway, I need to get in touch with Peter Hendricks' wife, do you know where I can find her?"

He nodded, "She's at a neighbor's house, I can take you to her."

"Good," she nodded but then turned back to her team, "Van Pelt, come with me while we talk to the victim's wife. Cho, you and Rigsby take the evidence back to HQ and get started sorting it out. We'll meet you back there in a couple of hours."

"On it boss," Cho replied, he and Rigsby turned to finish surveying the specialists loading up the evidence while Grace and Lisbon followed the officer across the street to another home.

A few minutes later Cho's phone rang and he stepped aside to answer it, "Cho." Rigsby listened offhand while Cho continued the conversation. "Uh huh…yeah…alright." He hung up and nudged Rigsby, "Come on." He said nothing more, simply headed towards the car they had arrived in.

"Was that Lisbon?" Rigsby asked but Cho didn't say anything, he started the car and pulled away, "where are we going?"

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"Lisbon is going to kill you," Rigsby said.

"No she's not," Cho said as he handed the guard his gun.

"When she finds out that you came here to talk to Jane, she will kill you."

"She'll kill you too," Cho reminded him.

"You brought me along. I'm innocent in this whole thing. He called you, not me."

"He wanted you to come."

Rigsby frowned a little at him. "He did? Why did he want that?"

"Ask him yourself," Cho said, meaning he had no clue. It was also a clear indication that the only way he would find out was if he tagged along.

He weighed his options. He could stay at the gate and wait for God only knew how long or he could see Jane and find out what he wanted. It wasn't a difficult choice. Rigsby gave up his weapon and caught up with Cho down the hall.

"Now Lisbon will you kill you too," Cho said.

They waited at an empty table in the large visiting area where other prisoners spoke with friends or family members. It wasn't long before Jane was brought out and led to the table by the guards. He smiled when he saw them. "Cho, Rigsby, it's good to see you."

"Hey," Cho said in his usual monotone way. Rigsby nodded and then muttered under his breath, "Lisbon is going to freak."

"Not if I can offer you something about Peter Hendricks," Jane said.

"Your call was about the case?" Cho asked.

"Yes and no," Jane admitted.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Rigsby asked. His words came out more suspicious than he intended, a fact Jane picked up.

"Nothing nefarious, I promise you," he said, "I knew Hendricks a little. He asked me to do him a favor on the sly. He wanted me to use my skills to see if there was anything unusual going on around here."

"Like what?" Cho asked.

"I don't know. He only asked yesterday. I had yet to find anything noteworthy."

Rigsby and Cho looked at each other and Rigsby nodded in agreement. "Alright, we'll tell Lisbon about this. But why do you think Hendricks came to you?"

Jane grinned a little. "Because he knew I was the only one who could find out whatever he was looking for."

"Any theories on what that was?" Cho asked.

"Not yet," Jane said, "But if you let me help you on this case I'm sure I can find out."

Rigsby let out chuckle. "Yeah, as if Lisbon will let that happen again."

"She will," Jane stated without any waver to his tone, "She'd know that if Hendricks wanted my help then I'm necessary to solving this case."

Rigsby grunted, silently saying 'you wanna bet'. He actually missed those times when they would bet against Jane. They always lost, but it was actually fun to lose to him since he won in the most interesting ways.

"We'll talk to Lisbon about this," Cho assured him.

It seemed that on the surface they were done, but none of them moved. Rigsby sat next to Cho, both of them being probed by Jane in total silence. He was staring at them in a way that made Rigsby uncomfortable. He was looking for something.

"Why didn't you tell me about my son?"

The phrase "jaw dropping" had always seemed particularly ridiculous to Rigsby but that I exactly what happened. His mouth fell open at the shock of Jane uttering those words. He looked at Cho for an answer but he was looking back at Jane. His face lacked the surprise Rigsby's had, but he knew he felt the same. Jane was not supposed to know about Tyler.

"How do you know?" Rigsby finally asked.

"Lisbon told me," he admitted, "She was trying to make me feel guilty for killing Red John, but that doesn't matter. Right now, I want to know why you kept this from me."

He was calm on the surface, but that was Jane. He never showed his emotion. Rigsby was willing to bet his pension that Jane was mad as hell with them right now, probably more at Cho since he was the one that kept the most contact with Jane. Still, the cool way he spoke was somehow unsettling.

"Does it matter?" Cho asked him.

Jane ignored Cho's response and locked his eyes on Rigsby. He kept that gaze there, forcing Rigsby to look down for several moments. But when he looked up again Jane was still staring, not even blinking, just staring. Jane knew him too well. Harsh words, threats, not even pleading would get him to crack, just making him think about it was enough. The sudden wave of guilt was too much.

"Lisbon told us not to," he finally confessed.

"So you wanted to tell me?"

"We suggested it…Grace suggested it when he was born, but Lisbon said no. She didn't think it was your business."

Jane looked away with a smile and laughed a little. "Amazing, I didn't realize how vindictive she could be. I'll never underestimate her again." He didn't really seem to be talking to them, more to himself.

He looked back at them again. "Tell Lisbon about Hendricks for me. Tell her to find out if Hendricks tried to speak to a higher official, but was turned down. He was straight-forward, always going by the book. Whatever he was looking for, I must have been his last resort."

"We will," Cho said.

"I'll be waiting then."

Taking that as their cue to leave, Rigsby and Cho stood up from the table and headed towards the exit. "We are dead," Rigsby said.

"Yep."

* * *

><p>Lisbon and Van Pelt were already at the CBI waiting patiently when Cho and Rigsby arrived. From the looks of it Rigsby was right, Lisbon looked angry enough to shoot a few holes in them both…and this was before she knew about their talk with Jane.<p>

"Where the hell have you been?" She asked them as soon as they stepped into the squad room. "I told you to come back with the evidence. I come back and the evidence is here but you aren't."

Cho kept his face like a stone mask, "We were following a lead."

Van Pelt looked confused, "Where?"

Lisbon didn't need them to answer that those, her features were already betraying her horror, "You didn't…"

Rigsby wasn't a fool; he knew when they were busted and he was desperate to save his skin, "He called Cho."

"And you went with him?" Rigsby ducked his head in shame. Oh no, Lisbon wasn't going to let either one of them walk away this easily.

Cho wasn't backing down though, "He called me because he had something on the case."

"I'm sure he told you that," she replied, "but Jane is just manipulating you to get to me."

"He said that Hendricks asked him for help, that he wanted him to see if anything unusual was going on in the prison."

Lisbon still thought Jane was playing them for a fool, that he just wanted to try and get close to her again…but that explanation he gave was tantalizing if it was true. "What did he find?"

Cho shook his head. "He said Hendricks only asked him yesterday."

"So he has nothing."

"No," he explained, "Jane said to check and see if Hendricks tried to go to an official about something and was turned down."

Lisbon glared at the two agents; this was a pretty thin lead that could mean nothing at all. Jane was known to go off the cuff like this and make conjectures…of course they usually lead to somewhere big.

She didn't want to go anywhere near Jane…but she couldn't just ignore this either. "Van Pelt, call CDCR, see if Hendricks tried to speak with the Secretary or any of the Executive Officers."

Van Pelt rushed to do her boss' bidding while Lisbon turned back to her two disobedient agents, "And you two, don't you _ever_ go to a prison to follow up a lead without telling me first. Especially when that lead is coming from Jane. I am _your_ boss, if something were to happen to you it goes on _my_ head."

"Understood boss," Cho said simply.

She kept her gaze on him, "I hope you do. I know Jane was our friend once but right now he is an inmate. I know you think you can trust him but don't forget what Jane is capable of."

"Jane wouldn't hurt us," Rigsby pointed out and then wondered why he was defending him.

But Lisbon agreed, "No he wouldn't, not intentionally. But Jane doesn't always think of the consequences of his actions, he doesn't always follow the rules and he can drag us down with him. Just like last time.

"I don't want you going there to talk to him about a case again, if we need Jane then _I_ will talk to him." She didn't want to ever have to use him for the job again but she didn't like the idea of Jane manipulating her team to get to her. No matter what excuses Jane had she knew that his real intention was to get close to her.

Well she wasn't going to play his game.

"Boss," Van Pelt said interrupting her scolding. She turned to look at her agent, "CDCR says that Hendricks came in last week. He tried to speak with the Secretary but what ever it is the Secretary sent him away."

"Something was going on in that prison," Cho stated.

"Maybe he asked Jane for help because he wanted to find some evidence before going to the Secretary again," Rigsby finished.

They all waited for Lisbon to speak, to make a decision. She couldn't believe this, couldn't fathom that it was happening again. Not now, not again. It had only been three weeks; she shouldn't have to face him again. It had already been so hard for her before when he didn't know the scars he had inflicted.

Now he knew…and she didn't know how he would react…what he would do.

She had a choice; she could walk away and try to figure this out on her own. She could leave Jane alone in prison and her team could attempt to follow this lead without him. Maybe they would find out what Hendricks was looking into by themselves.

But she couldn't hinge her entire investigation on _maybe_.

Lisbon sighed and didn't look at anyone on her team, "Call the warden; bring Jane in so we can see what he knows."

It was time to play with Jane once more.

* * *

><p>Instead of having the whole team wait around for the warden to grant permission for Jane to come to the CBI, Lisbon sent Van Pelt and Rigsby to the state prison to collect the victim's things that he left in his locker.<p>

One of the other guards led them through the building into the staff area. Van Pelt kept her eyes open, looking at any inmate they passed as if expecting Jane to pop up anywhere. The locker area was small a clean, just a place where guards could put a change of clothes and contraband personal items so that the inmates couldn't take them and use them as weapons.

"This is his locker," the guard with the name Williams on his uniform said. He hesitated for a moment before looking up at them, "You'll find the guy who did this to Pete right?"

"We'll do our best," Grace told him, always the one who could soothe with ease.

Williams smiled and left them to their investigation. "Alright let's see what's inside here," Rigsby said as he opened the locker. Grace continued to look around the place even though it was just the two of them. Rigsby noticed, "You don't have to worry, these inmates are behind cells."

"I'm not afraid," Van Pelt replied.

"Then what?" He looked at her for a moment as she tried to explain with her eyes, "Jane?"

"He is here."

"He's in his cell or on a bus on his way to CBI," Rigsby told her.

"I don't know what to expect from Jane," Grace admitted, "he always…he's always doing something…"

Rigsby nodded somberly, "Yeah, I know."

Things were quiet between them as Rigsby removed items from the locker, a change of shoes, a pack of gum, a second uniform. "You shouldn't have gone to him," Rigsby looked up when Grace spoke, "You shouldn't have seen him."

"He called Cho," Rigsby stammered out.

Grace rolled her eyes, "But you went with him."

"He asked for me."

"Why?"

"I don't know," He admitted.

Van Pelt shook her head, "Lisbon doesn't want to work with him again, he's too hard to control." She looked away, "I think she's afraid we'll say something about Tyler."

"She already told him about Tyler," Rigsby said.

Grace looked at him stunned, "What?"

"He knows," Rigsby explained, "he said Lisbon told him."

Her eyes were wide with confusion and surprise, "Why would she do that?"

"He said that she wanted him to feel guilty about Red John."

That was hard for Van Pelt to swallow but Lisbon knew Jane better than anyone, she would know which buttons to push. "Do you think it worked?"

Rigsby shrugged, "I don't know, he said that he was surprised at how vindictive she could be so…maybe."

Grace leaned back against another locker, "It makes sense. She never wanted to talk about it but I could tell how much he hurt her." She looked up at Rigsby, "Do you think he's trying to get back on the case so he can get close to her again?"

"I don't know," he admitted, "With Jane I learned to never try and guess his motivations, they are never what I expect." Rigsby rifled through the locker some more and pulled out a large brown envelope, "Hello what have we here?"

She turned to look at the evidence, "Mail?"

"No address," Rigsby pointed out, "It's already been opened."

He reached in a pulled out a photograph that showed a man and a woman in what appeared to be a romantic embrace. "Is that Peter Hendricks?" Grace asked.

Rigsby nodded, "Yep, but who's the woman?"

"Not his wife," Van Pelt finished.

He turned the photograph over. Written on the back in neat block letters were the words:

_IF YOU TELL THEN I WILL_

"Well he knew something," Rigsby said.

"Yeah," Van Pelt agreed, "And someone knew something about him."

* * *

><p>Lisbon had not asked Cho to join her down at the garage but he had tagged along anyways. He didn't come to keep her company. That was evident because he didn't speak a word to her. Maybe he came to speak with Jane.<p>

The bus was apparently running late and the silence was pressing in on them. "What time is it?" Cho asked.

"Ten after," she said, "They must be caught in traffic."

"Got it."

"You don't have to wait with me," she said.

"It's no problem."

"Okay," she said. With Jane returning and the tension now between them, Lisbon decided now was as good a time as any to asked Cho something she'd been wanting to know for a long time. "Why did you keep in contact with Jane?"

He looked at her for a moment that made her clarify, "I'm not judging, Kimball, I'm just curious."

Cho didn't speak right away, maybe thinking of the best way to phrase his response. "In Special Forces we were taught to never leave a man behind, no matter what happened you never abandoned them. I've done some things I'm not proud of so I'm not going to be a hypocrite and leave Jane behind because of what he did."

"You never murdered anyone," Lisbon pointed out.

He shook his head. "But I might have if I had stayed with the Playboys."

"It's different, Cho. You were young, angry and vulnerable. Jane knew what he was doing."

"Maybe, but Red John killed his wife and daughter, carved them open and then taunted him for years about it. He may not have been young, but I think Jane was just as angry and vulnerable."

He had a good point. Even Lisbon had to admit that Red John had pulled Jane through the ringer. She could understand it, but she couldn't forgive him. Jane had done more than just murdered someone, he had abandoned her. So much for never leave a man behind.

"Why did you tell him about Tyler?" Cho asked.

It was a question she had been waiting for. Undoubtedly the reason Jane had wanted Cho to bring Rigsby with him was to get information. Cho was too rigid, he wouldn't cave. Rigsby was softer, easier to appeal too.

"I don't know," Lisbon said, "I guess I wanted him to understand what he had done."

"You do realize that he isn't going to let this go, right?"

"What can he do?" she pointed out, "He's in prison. Jane can't do anything from behind bars."

"I wouldn't underestimate him," Cho said. His tone was serious, a warning. Did he know something?

"What do you mean?" Lisbon asked.

Her question remained unanswered because the bus arrived. She let out a sigh and said to herself, "Just push through it."

Jane walked off the bus casually. She didn't know if she expected him to yell at her or confront her right away. He did neither. "Cho, Lisbon, it's good to see you again, and so soon."

Lisbon just glared at him and took the clipboard from the guard. "We'll call you when we're tired of him," she said.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Let's go, Jane," she told him. She and Cho flanked him but this time they didn't pull him along. He wasn't going to try to escape, not when this was where he wanted to be.

"Here is the thing," she said as she pushed the button to signal the elevator, "You are here for the case, you won't talk to suspects unless I say, you won't get in the way of the investigation, you won't steal their phones, you won't hypnotize them so keep your hands and your mind games to yourself."

"Good thing I'm in cuffs then," he said with a teasing smile.

"This isn't a game, Jane, I'm not going to play along," she warned him.

He was still grinning. "I think you already are."

Yes, he was up to something. To further prove that, Jane remained silent the entire trip to the squad room. He even took up a seat without complaint while they looked through the forensics report and autopsy photos.

"Boss," Rigsby said when he and Grace returned. They both stopped when they saw that Jane had already beaten them there.

"Hey guys," he said and did his best to wave with his cuffs still on.

"Hey," Rigsby said with a nod, but no other form of greeting. "Uh, boss, we found something in the locker."

"What?" Lisbon asked.

"This," he handed her a picture sealed inside an evidence bag. "That's Hendricks kissing someone."

"And not his wife," Lisbon noticed.

"Turn it over," Grace said.

She flipped the photo over and read out loud, "_I'll tell if you will_. It sounds like our victim was being blackmailed."

"And having an affair," Rigsby said.

"Hendricks wouldn't have an affair," Jane spoke up to add.

Lisbon looked over at him and held up the photo. "This says otherwise."

"Hendricks had a high sense of morality," he explained, "that's why he went into law enforcement, he believed in the law to the letter."

"It's not against the law to cheat on your wife," she pointed out.

"No, but it's immoral. To Hendricks, it would be a crime against himself."

"So how do you explain the photo?" Cho asked him.

"Can I see it?" Jane asked. Lisbon walked to his chair and held the photo up to him. "Hmm, well it's not fake. No sign of tampering. But look at how his eyes are opened and how stiff his neck is. Tell me, if you were in a romantic embrace would you be as stiff as a board or relaxed and fluid?"

He smiled at Lisbon and then said, "Well I know that answer."

She felt the color rise in her cheeks, either from embarrassment or anger. Everybody remained still, but glanced at one another and Jane awkwardly, they all knew _exactly_ what he had meant. Lisbon turned around so she wouldn't have to look at his smug expression, like he was proud to have implied something so inappropriate. "Find out who this is and bring her in," she told her team.

"Got it, boss," Grace said.

"Rigsby, you and I will go speak to the wife. Let's see if she knew about this." She locked eyes with Cho and ordered, "Keep him in line."

"Sure, boss."

Yeah, like that was even possible.

* * *

><p>Sandra Hendricks worked at the Mercy General Hospital, a large red brick building that boasted for being one of the leading cardiac programs in the nation. Lisbon never did care much for hospitals but she didn't seem to mind walking into this one, something Rigsby noticed.<p>

"Can't believe the wife went into work the day her husband was murdered," he said as they stepped into the waiting area.

"Sometimes we need work, it helps keep our mind off our problems," she replied but seemed to be scanning the halls as if looking for someone.

Rigsby thought for a moment and then smiled, "Doesn't your boyfriend work here?" She blushed and he grinned, "Yes he does, hoping to run into him?"

She eyed him in annoyance and lightly smacked him, "Shut up." He laughed as they continued to walk down the hallway. Behind one of the desks at the nurses station sat an older woman with graying blonde hair and extremely sad eyes. The other nurses stepped lightly around her, quiet and reserved. "Mrs. Hendricks?" Lisbon said as soon as they stepped up to the desk.

"Agent Lisbon," the woman replied, "what are you doing here?"

"I need to ask you a few more questions," she explained, "is there someplace more private where we can talk?"

She nodded and led them into a small room with a refrigerator, a water cooler and a microwave. A small table and two chairs sat up against the back wall with a coffeepot on the counter nearby. This was obviously the break room the nurses used.

Sandra smiled softly, "They told me I could take some time off…but I have no where else to go," she admitted, "my home is covered in blood and Peter is…" She brushed away the tears and took a deep breath before turning back to Lisbon, "Have you found anything, do you know who did this?"

"We're working on it," Lisbon told her softly, "Do you know if your husband was having any problems at his work? If he was looking into anything?"

"No," Sandra shook her head, "I don't think so. He…he was staying late a lot though."

"When did he start working late?" She asked.

Mrs. Hendricks thought for a moment, "Uhm…it started about a month ago, he'd stay late a couple of nights a week." Lisbon exchanged looks with Rigsby and she noticed, "What? What is it? Does this have to do with why Peter was killed?"

Lisbon hated this part of the job, ruining the image of those that were passed on. But it was important to know how much she knew, "Mrs. Hendricks…were you aware that your husband may have been having an affair?"

Sandra looked aghast, "What? No that's impossible, Peter would never do something like that."

She slowly pulled out the photograph and showed it to Sandra. Her hands shook as she looked at the picture of her husband, "No…no…" she repeated and broke down into uncontrollable sobs.

Lisbon ushered her to one of the chairs. She nudged Rigsby and pointed to the water cooler, he quickly complied and brought over a paper cup of water. Sandra took a few sips and slowly began to calm down. "I'm really sorry I had to tell you this," she said, "but it's important. We believe someone was blackmailing your husband. Do you have any idea who could have done this?"

She shook her head and continued to try and compose herself. "What about the woman, do you know the woman in the photo?"

This time Sandra nodded, "Her…her name is Emily. She works at the prison…with Peter." Her voice caught in her throat and she had to restrain herself again, "I just can't believe this. I simply can't believe this."

"I understand," Lisbon replied, "but you've been a big help to us."

"I…I don't know what to do now," Sandra admitted, "What should I do?"

Lisbon wasn't used to giving advice to grieving widows of unfaithful husbands but she gave it a shot. "I think you should listen to your coworkers and take some time off, go to a friend or family. You'll find peace, I promise." Sandra nodded and took another sip of water, "Thank you for your time Mrs. Hendricks."

Rigsby and Lisbon left her alone to sort through her grief and they made their way down the hallway. "Are you sure you should have told her about that picture?" Rigsby asked.

"Yes because now we know who the woman is," Lisbon replied.

"But Jane said that he thinks that Hendricks wasn't having an affair," he pointed out.

"Jane may think that but he has no proof," She explained, "until then I'm going to follow the evidence whether Jane likes it or not."

They made their way into the busy reception area when a tall doctor in dark blue scrubs noticed them. As soon as she saw him Lisbon smiled broadly, "David," she greeted him happily.

"Teresa," he said surprised but elated, giving her a quick kiss, "what are you doing here?"

"I was talking to Sandra Hendricks," she explained.

"Oh yeah," He replied, "You're working her husband's case?"

"Yeah, we just had a few questions.

That was when David noticed the other agent with her, "Rigsby," David said to the other man and shook his hand, "good to see you."

"Yeah, good to see you too, man," Rigsby replied. But he stepped aside sensing that the two of them wanted to share a private moment.

"How's Tyler?" David asked.

Lisbon smiled, "He's great, he's still obsessed with becoming a magician. I should kill you for taking him to that show."

"What? He loved it," he defended himself.

"I know and it's all I heard about for two months now."

He grinned but looked at her sweetly, "It's good to see you, I've been missing you a lot lately."

"I know," she looked at him suggestively, "maybe we can tell people to stop dying and getting seriously hurt so that we can stop being so busy."

"Sounds like a plan," He kissed her again, softer and longer this time. He pulled away reluctantly. "I have to go," David admitted, "I have a surgery."

"And I have a case," Lisbon finished.

He nodded, "I'll come over this week sometime, I promise."

"I'll look forward to it."

One more quick kiss and he bid her and Rigsby goodbye. She watched him leave for a moment before turning around towards the exit. "We should get back to the CBI and make sure Jane isn't getting into anymore trouble," Lisbon told her agent.

"Do you think this Emily is involved with the blackmail?"

"I don't know, but we'll find out."

* * *

><p>"Van Pelt," Lisbon said when she and Rigsby returned, "Look for a female guard named Emily at the prison."<p>

"Got it," Grace said and turned to her computer to do her search.

"Did the wife have anything else?" Cho asked.

"No," Lisbon said, "She had no idea her husband was having an affair."

"Alleged affair," Jane corrected her, "you don't know that for sure."

Lisbon looked at him once but then chose to just ignore him, to pretend like he didn't exist.

"Boss," Grace said, "There is an Emily Jenson that works at the prison."

"Good, you and Cho go pick her up and bring her here for questioning. Rigsby, go through Hendrick's phone records, both home and cell and see if you can find any connection between them."

"On it, boss," Rigsby said while Cho and Grace grabbed their weapons and left for the prison.

"Lisbon, do you think I could have a cup of tea?" Jane asked. She looked back at him, ready to turn him down but she saw the look in his eyes. Jane didn't want tea. He wanted to talk. She could say no, but she was willing to bet a lot of money that he would have this conversation with her there, in front of Rigsby if he had to. It was better if they were alone.

"Fine," she said, "Get up."

Jane stood up from his chair and followed her into the break room where they used to chat over donuts a lifetime ago. "Sit," she ordered him.

She played along by filling the kettle with water and turning on the small stove. "Earl Grey or Chamomile?"

"Earl Grey."

She took the packet and a cup out of the cabinet. She poured a bit of milk into the cup and then waited for the water to boil. "You still remember how I like my tea," Jane said.

"Some things are hard to forget, like your weird obsession with tea," she said, silently wishing that she had made a mistake instead of working on autopilot.

The kettle whistled to signal that it was done. She poured the hot water into the cup and then put the bag in to seep. "Here," she said and put the cup on the table in front of him.

"Thank you."

"Now tell me why you really wanted me here."

Jane chuckled a little and played with the little tag on the end of the string. "You're as sharp as ever, Lisbon."

"Don't flatter me, Jane," Lisbon said, "Just cut to the chase."

"I wanted to congratulate you."

She frowned, taken aback by his words. "For what?"

"For your gumption," he said, "I didn't know that you had it in you."

No need to ask what he was referring to, but was he serious? He was congratulating her for causing him pain?

"Jane, don't," she said.

"I'm just saying that I underestimated you. You wanted me to feel pain and regret and it worked beautifully."

"Jane…"

"I'm impressed," he said, "Truly, I am. You broke me, the only person to do that before was…well you know."

Lisbon felt her anger spark up again. She put both hands on the table and leaned in to him. "Are you comparing my keeping my son from you to Red John murdering your wife and daughter?"

"Not at all," he said, "What Red John did was evil and cruel, this was just cruel."

His words were harsh but his tone was it. Instead he sounded…proud of her. This didn't make any sense at all. Unless…

"Are you playing one of your tricks?" Lisbon asked, "You can't manipulate me, Jane. He is my son and you are a felon. I'm not letting you near him."

"I assure you, Lisbon, I am doing nothing of the sort."

"Then what are you doing?"

He picked up his cup with his enchained hands and then said, "I'm trying to help you solve this case. That's all."

"I don't believe you," she said.

Jane sipped his tea and then smiled. "You are sharp, Lisbon, and I meant what I said. I'm not going to underestimate you again."

That was a challenge if she ever heard one.

* * *

><p>Emily Jensen came in willingly with Cho and Van Pelt, which made Lisbon's job a little easier. She was fully prepared to interview her alone but was stopped in the squad room by none other than Jane. "You're off to interview Hendricks' supposed lover," he remarked.<p>

"Yes," she said, not sure where this was going.

Jane sat up in his chair, "Let me in on this one."

"No," Lisbon shook her head.

He smiled, "Come on, I used to interview suspects all the time. I have the experience, you know I can get the truth out of her…"

"What scares me is _how _you would do it," She told him.

Jane held up his hands exposing his cuffed wrists, "What can I do?"

Lisbon sighed exasperated with him, "Why do you want to interview her so badly?"

He looked at her seriously, "Because I know there is more to that photograph then a simple affair and I can get her to tell me." Lisbon looked at him doubtfully, "Still not convinced? Alright then, Hendricks asked me to help him find something for him in the prison, since he's dead I'm the only one that can help you find out what that is. You need me in there with you, so that we can find it."

She wanted to tell him no because it certainly would make her life easier but he was right. She'd brought him here for a reason: to find out what Hendricks knew. Like it or not Jane could get the answers she needed.

"Fine," Lisbon said and Jane stood up happily, "but no funny business. I mean it Jane."

"I'm a man of my word," He replied.

She rolled her eyes, as if she would believe that.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Emily Jensen was clearly surprised to see an inmate in handcuffs come in with Lisbon but she didn't question it. She kept her gaze on Lisbon, "I'd like to know why I'm here. I mean I know this is about poor Peter's death but really I don't know anything."

Jensen was a well put together woman, tall with a strong presence and tough, Lisbon could guess that working with hardened criminals every day would mean she knew how to take insults and innuendos.

"We just have a few questions for you," Lisbon assured her. It worked; Jensen immediately seemed to relax. "What was your relationship with Peter Hendricks?"

The word _relationship_ made her stiffen, "Nothing…I mean we worked together so we'd see each other every now and then, just 'hello', you know?"

Lisbon nodded, "Just professionally then?"

"Of course."

She kept her eyes on the other woman before pulling out the photo of her with Hendricks. Jensen got a good look in and obviously knew she'd been caught, "Would you like to revise your statement?"

Jensen looked up in defeat, "Alright…we were having an affair. I lied because I didn't want the warden to find out. I could get fired."

Lisbon was prepared to ask more of her involvement but Jane jumped in first, "Could you repeat that again?"

Emily gave him a confused look, "What?"

"What you just said."

She was clearly found all of this weird; "I was having an affair with him."

Jane had kept his gaze focused on her intently throughout his questioning, he leaned back with a grin, "No, no you're lying. You need to stop twitching your eyes, that's your tell."

"What is this?" Jensen asked, she was getting angry and frustrated by the unusual interrogation.

"I'll tell you what this is," Jane cut in, "You hold yourself high, your uniform is crisp and neat, you love your job as a prison guard because it affords you the opportunity to assert power over men. I'll bet if we look in your file we'll find some complaints that you are a bit too rough handling inmates." He smiled knowingly, "You weren't having an affair with Hendricks; you're not even interested in men are you?"

"Jane that's enough," Lisbon warned him.

But Jensen glared at Jane, she sat up straighter as if to look more imposing, "What do you want to know?" she asked him.

He still smiled, "The photograph was an act wasn't it. Someone wanted to catch him in a compromising position so they had you create one."

Lisbon wasn't sure where Jane was going with this but she decided to play along, "Who told you to do that Jensen?" she asked forcefully.

She glanced at Lisbon, "It was Ross, Ross Daniels. He's another guard. He paid me to kiss Peter so that he could take the picture."

"He wanted to use the picture as blackmail," Jane said, "Because Hendricks had something on Daniels…my guess: drugs."

Jensen looked at him with hard eyes, "I don't know anything for sure…but I know Ross is friendly with a couple of inmates." She turned back to Lisbon, "Can I go?"

"Not yet," Lisbon said, "Where were you the night Peter Hendricks was killed?"

"I was at home," Jensen replied and turned to glare at Jane, "with my _partner_."

Lisbon took in the information but kept it all inside, she nodded, "You can go…but don't leave town, we may need to talk again."

They were silent as Jensen, still glaring at Jane, got up and left the room. After she was gone Lisbon turned to Jane, "How did you know it was drugs?"

Jane grinned, "It had to have been something illegal going on in the prison. Over the last few months there have been several incidents with other inmates getting high. I didn't put it together until you showed me the photograph though."

"So why didn't you tell me this before?"

"Well I knew you would want proof."

She shook her head and stood up, pulling Jane to his feet with her. "You're going to bring Daniels in right?" He asked as they headed out of the interrogation room.

"Of course," she replied.

"Let me talk to him."

"Not a chance."

Jane wasn't going to let this go, "I just proved that I was right, Hendricks wasn't cheating on his wife. Now don't I deserve some sort of reward?" He grinned like a little boy begging for a fire truck.

"I'll buy you a cookie," she replied easily.

"I'd prefer the interrogation."

Now she was getting angry with him acting like she couldn't solve a case without him. "I don't need your help with everything Jane," she told him.

"You need my help with this."

Lisbon led Jane down the hallway from interrogation, his prison outfit standing painfully out so everyone was aware of his presence. She ignored the stares while continuing her argument, "No! I do not care what you want, we are doing this _my_ way."

"Your way would take too long," Jane explained, "If you listen to me we will get him that much faster."

She eyed him icily, "For the past four years I have been able to catch killers while following the rules. That means I don't get complaints filed on my record and the D.A. doesn't call me up to yell at me on a daily basis. I _like_ this way; I like not having a headache every day. I don't have to put up with your crap anymore. So we will do this how _I_ want."

Jane kept a detached smile on his face as they made their way to the squad room, "You are making a mistake."

"Shut up!" Lisbon turned to her team and her back to Jane, "Rigsby, Cho, you're with me. We're going to talk to Daniels."

Jane wasn't going to give up, "Just listen…"

"Sit down!" she shouted and all but forced him into the chair by Van Pelt's desk. Before he was fully seated she had handcuffed him to a drawer handle on the desk. Van Pelt eyed her boss warily, "Van Pelt, watch him," Lisbon told her firmly, "If he tries to pull any of his usual crap, send him back to his cell."

With her orders given she turned on her heel and marched out the door with Cho and Rigsby scrambling to keep up. Jane fiddled with his handcuffs for a moment; amused that Lisbon had gone to such lengths. He looked over to see Van Pelt typing at her computer but she glanced at him often. He smiled and she forced herself to look back at the screen. She wanted to appear indifferent and ignore his presence; he should have known she'd play this game.

"You needn't worry Grace, I only have one free hand, not enough to do any damage," he held up the wrist that was handcuffed and grinned at his joke. She pointedly ignored him and he knew exactly what she was doing.

Jane leaned back in the chair and studied her until she uncomfortably glanced back. "I knew immediately how the others would react to what I did," Jane began, "I knew Lisbon would be hurt and angry, that she would leave me to my own defenses. Cho would follow her lead but privately would seek to be of some help to me. And Rigsby would only see my crime, that he would follow the law to the letter. His resentment is stronger than I thought, but I have an idea why."

He kept his eyes on hers, "You, I knew you more than anyone would see _why_ I did what I did. I thought you would be the last one to leave me…it was surprising that I was wrong." Jane leaned back again, "But you haven't changed, you still sympathize easily, still connect with victims and their families. That tells me that your anger towards me isn't about what I did but something more personal." Jane leaned forward and bored his eyes into hers, "She turned to you didn't she? When everything happened you were the one that helped her and _her _anger became yours."

Grace stared at him for a long while before putting the keyboard aside and turning her chair to face him, "You have no idea what she went through. The investigation, the gossip…her pregnancy. No one should have to face all of that, especially alone." Grace looked away leaving the final part out: _And it is _your_ fault._

"I'm glad you were there for her."

Grace looked at him again, "She needed help. We all helped her."

"But you did more," Jane stated, making it clear that he was aware of her special part during that time.

She didn't say anything for a moment but finally spoke, "I was there. When she needed someone to drive her to the doctor or just someone to talk to…I was there."

Jane was no fool. He knew Grace was being modest and understating her role. He'd seen the closeness between Lisbon and Van Pelt, the bond they now shared that had been absent before. He could guess to it's formation, "You helped her decide to go through with it didn't you."

Grace hesitated, "She always wanted to have the baby," she explained, "I simply helped her realize that."

Jane nodded, "I'm grateful."

"Fine," she said but her tone suggested she had doubts.

"I am," he insisted, "I'm sure she didn't even want to admit her condition at first. Your support must have made things easier for her."

"It was still hard," Grace said, "There were whispers about the whole thing, she had to walk on eggshells for months."

She shook her head at the memories. "I was there Jane. She told me everything and I saw…I saw how hard it was on her, how much everything hurt her. She is a strong woman but she shouldn't have to carry such a heavy burden." Grace glared at him, "I'm on her side…with everything."

He nodded in complete understanding. Of course she would be on Lisbon's side after everything like that. But this was killing him.

Jane looked at her with grave eyes and she saw his own pain for once. "I have a son Grace."

"I…I know."

He shook his head, "I have a son and I don't know him. I don't know what he looks like, what his favorite color is." His voice grew a little hoarse from the emotions, "I don't even know his name." Jane looked at her pleadingly, "No matter what my crime, nobody should face that torture of knowing so little about something like this."

Grace's heart sank; she could easily see that Jane truly was being tortured. That the veneer of calmness and arrogance was hiding a new pain, one of sorrow and anguish over the questions that were plaguing him.

Her loyalties were to Lisbon, the woman she had worked with for years and had grown so close to over her time of need. But she couldn't agree to her decision to leave him in so much pain. Because while Lisbon had faced her own demons…she'd never been left with so many unanswered questions.

"Tyler," the name escaped Grace's lips softly, "His name is Tyler."

Jane had looked up quickly as soon as he heard the name, "Tyler," he repeated testing the name on his tongue and smiling softly, "Tyler."

Grace couldn't help it, she wanted to do more. She knew Lisbon would hate it but she rummaged in her drawer before pulling out a small photograph and setting it down on the desk in front of Jane.

Jane could see a young boy of about three smiling at the camera with a wide grin. He had his mother's soft green eyes but there was a lot of himself in his son, from the curly blonde hair to the dimples in his cheeks. With his free hand he traced his son's features with his fingertip.

"He's a sweet boy," Grace told him, watching him study the photograph, "Mischievous…he's too smart for his own good." Jane didn't look up but she knew he was listening to every word, "He was born in January, the sixteenth. He was such a good baby, always smiling and laughing he…he still does that, always smiles."

Jane looked up at her with honest eyes, "Thank you Grace."

Silently she took the photograph back and placed it in the drawer. When she looked back over she saw Jane was lost in thought and she suddenly feared her actions had only made a bad situation worse, "What are you going to do?" she asked immediately regretting the question.

Jane's eyes flickered up to her, "I'm going to help them, be a part of his life."

Grace was confused, "Jane…you're in prison," she reminded him gently.

He surprised her by smiling a secret smile, "I have a plan."

Now she was terrified. What was he going to do?

* * *

><p>Lisbon parked the vehicle outside of the prison; it had been a quiet ride from the CBI with her reflecting about her blowout with Jane. It wasn't good to show he could get to her like that but it had been satisfying slapping the cuffs on him.<p>

They got out of the car and Rigsby was the one who finally broke the silence, "I can't believe a guard would start selling drugs to inmates."

"Makes sense," Cho replied, "a lot of the prisoners here are ex-junkies; they'd be desperate for a fix. And if they got caught no one would believe them over a guard."

"Yeah but how do they get the money?"

"There are ways," Cho explained, "I've heard about new inmates that are meth addicts selling their urine for favors."

Rigsby looked disgusted, "That's sick."

Lisbon was in agreement, "Story time is over."

Ross Daniels was speaking with another guard just outside of one of the cellblocks; from the looks of it they were having a friendly conversation. It might mean Daniels didn't know they were coming for him.

He caught sight of them and his smile faltered, "Ross Daniels," Lisbon called out, "We need to talk to…"

Daniels took off running down the hallway.

"You've got to be kidding me," Rigsby muttered as he and Cho gave quick chase. They moved a head of Lisbon quickly with their long legs and quick stride.

The guard was searching desperately for an exit as he ran down past the rows of cells. The inmates cheered on the chase from behind bars like spectators at the Kentucky Derby.

"Get him! Get him!" they yelled or simply whistled their approval.

Daniels took off down one hallway and then took a swift right to another row of cells. He did have andadvantage in knowing the maze of prison blocks much better than him. They had to keep him in their sights. If they lost him, he might simply stride out of the prison and vanish.

One prisoner was cleaning the floor with a dirty mop, the shackles around his ankles ensuring they he would stay put. He stopped to watch as Daniels with Cho and Rigsby close behind came running up towards him.

Then as subtlety as possible he held out the mop across the floor, Daniels tripped and fell forward onto the floor. Rigsby tackled him like a linebacker, pulling his hands behind him to slap on the cuffs.

"I've always wanted to do that," the helpful inmate said before returning back to his job of cleaning the floor.

Cheers erupted from the cells as they hauled Daniels to his feet. "For once they're cheering for us," Cho pointed out as they led him down the hallway and tried their best to ignore their temporary fan base.

* * *

><p>Cho had Daniels in cuffs and was leading him down the hallway of HQ. Rigsby was at his side and Lisbon traveled in front of them. "Put him in interrogation but leave him in cuffs. We don't want to chase him again," she said.<p>

"You had a bit of an adventure?" Jane asked. Lisbon looked up and saw that he was no longer chained to Grace's desk but was lying on the brown sofa he used to love. At least he was still handcuffed. It stopped her cold for a moment, there was Jane on the couch the same way she'd seen him thousands of times before…but this time he was in prison garb. It made her stomach twist into a knot once again.

"How did he get free?" Lisbon asked pointedly to Grace.

"He said he was uncomfortable," she said.

True enough, being hunched over a drawer wouldn't have been a natural pose at all. But still, letting him lie on the couch like he was taking a siesta just wasn't right. "Next time ignore him," she said, "He could endure a little discomfort."

"Mmm, petty vengeance," Jane said from the couch, "You really should try to let go of your animosity and pursue something healthier."

"Bite me," Lisbon said and then left the squad room for the security of her office. She wasn't about to let him push all of her buttons.

She sat down at her desk and grabbed the nearest paper that she had to read. There was always paperwork and it often proved to be an invaluable distraction at times like these. She started to read the paper filled with boring legal jargon but then there was a soft knock on her door. Grace was standing there holding a file.

"Uh, I looked up Hendrick's claim for the CDCR," Grace said and handed her the file, "It isn't much, just that he thought that Daniels was cavorting with inmates in a suspicious manner. He lists drugs as a possible reason but he had no evidence."

"That's why he asked Jane for help. He figured he could find evidence and then he would have enough to nail Daniels," Lisbon said, "I'm starting to like him for this one."

She gave the file back to Grace and said, "Give this to Cho. He may want to use it during the interrogation."

"Yes, boss."

Grace turned to leave but she only made it to the doorway before Lisbon asked, "What did you tell Jane?"

She turned around, blinking way too much. "What?"

Lisbon leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. "You heard me."

Grace closed her eyes a moment and then looked away. "He wanted to know about Tyler."

Now Lisbon stood up from her chair and walked around her desk so she was standing directly in front of her. "What did you tell him exactly?"

"Not much," Grace said, "Just his name, his birthday…and I showed him a picture."

Lisbon turned around and put both hands on her desk for a second. She needed a moment to collect herself, to tamper the growing anger bubbling inside. She knew Grace was empathetic, she often used it as a way of connecting to the victim's families to gain their trust. Lisbon should have known that Jane would tap into that to get what he wanted.

She turned around and snapped, "He is _my_ son! I make decisions like that, not you!"

"But he already knew about him," Grace said in her defense.

"That doesn't matter."

"Jane is his father," Grace said, "I know he is in prison, but what's it going to hurt if he sees a picture and knows his son's name?"

"This is not your responsibility," Lisbon said, "Next time Jane asks about Tyler, run it by me. I will decide what he should or should not know."

Grace gave her a little nod. "Alright. I'm sorry, I should have told you first."

"Thank you," Lisbon said, her voice was still a little tight. "Now go give that file to Cho."

"Yes, boss."

Grace left her office, still a bit cowed. Later Lisbon would have to apologize for her outburst and make amends, but for now she just wanted to work. She wanted to cleanse her mind of Patrick Jane. But that wouldn't happen until he was back in his cell.

* * *

><p>Ross Daniels was clearly uncomfortable in interrogation and Cho's stoic silence didn't make it any better for him. He shifted nervously in his seat for several minutes and glanced at the two-way mirror several times. Finally he spoke, "Look this is all a misunderstanding."<p>

"Oh really," Cho replied, "then why did you try to run?"

He shrugged and smiled a bit too wide, "I thought you might have been sent to kill me…I've been seeing this married woman."

It was a lie and a bad one, he didn't need Jane to tell him that. "Nice try," Cho said, "Why did you hire Emily Jensen to kiss Peter Hendricks?"

Daniels wasn't smiling anymore, "She told you that?" He studied Cho to see how much the agent knew but like always Cho's face gave away nothing, "What else did she say?" Cho didn't say anything, just continued to stare at him.

It worked, Daniel cracked like an egg, "Alright…I admit it. I hired Emily to kiss Hendricks because he was getting wise to my…_arrangement_ with the inmates."

"The drugs," Cho clarified.

"Yes," Daniels explained, "I didn't intend for it to go this far. One day I confiscated some coke off of a new arrival, another prisoner saw and offered to pay me a grand for it." Daniels shook his head, "I needed the cash…I owed a guy some money and he was pushing me for it…and it was easy."

"Hendricks found out and tried to have you reported."

"Yeah," Daniels told him, "I thought if I could just shut him up then that would be the end of it, which is why I hired Emily."

"And when that didn't work you broke into his home and stabbed him to death," Cho finished.

"What?" Daniels exclaimed, "No! I didn't kill him."

"You said you needed to shut him up."

"Yes."

"If he's dead then he couldn't say anything."

"Yes," Daniels agreed and then realized how that sounded, "No! I didn't kill him, I swear." He looked at Cho desperately, "Yes I was selling coke to prisoners and yes I hired Emily to help me blackmail him but I _didn't_ kill him!" He leaned back up against the seat and ran a hand through his hair; he looked like he was about to cry. "Check the logs, I was on duty the night he was killed, talk to Tom he was at the prison with me the whole night."

Cho nodded, "We'll do that." But he didn't look convinced even as he left the room.

* * *

><p>An hour later Van Pelt hung up the phone with a chagrined expression on her face, "Daniels clocked in at the prison at ten PM the night of the murder, three other guards all saw him on his shift that night until the next morning. They are willing to send us security footage to confirm it."<p>

"Damn," Rigsby muttered, "I liked him for it."

Lisbon was thinking the same thing. It was always disheartening when a prime suspect has a cast-iron alibi, especially when it left their investigation at square one.

"What next?" Cho asked, "Do we check the intruder angle?"

She was considering that very question when Jane interrupted. "No…we've been looking at this the wrong way." His nose was buried in the case file, flipping through the crime scene photos and reports from the forensic specialists.

"What do you mean?" Grace asked honestly.

He looked up from the file and smiled knowingly, "We've been focused on what Hendricks knew that we ignored the evidence that was in front of us."

Lisbon had no idea where Jane was going with this, "Which is…?"

Jane just grinned, that arrogant smile he saved for solving a case, "Fact one: there were no signs of tampering with the locks at his home. Fact two: the killer used a knife from the kitchen, a weapon of opportunity."

"That fits the idea that there was an intruder," Cho pointed out.

Jane pointed at Cho, "Stabbing a man to death is up close and personal, the killer was angry with Hendricks, they knew him very well…" He turned to Van Pelt, "Look up traffic violations the night of the murder, specifically near any of the interstates leading out of California."

"How are speeding tickets going to help us solve a murder?" Lisbon asked incredulously.

"You'll see."

It took a few moments but Grace pulled up a list of names that traffic officers had reported in the night Hendricks was killed. She wasn't expecting to see anything compelling but Jane had a knack for being right. She looked up from the computer with a shocked and excited look on her face, "Boss!"

Lisbon hurried over to see what she'd found and even she couldn't help but mutter, "What the hell?"

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Sandra Hendricks looked like a lost little girl in Interrogation; she seemed bewildered and confused at the turn of events. Lisbon could sympathize with her feelings, more than once she had been that same little girl, just never in this type of situation.

Jane studied the woman in front of him carefully, taking not of ever movement she made, every emotion that showed on her face. Finally he leaned forward, "You loved your husband very much didn't you Sandra?"

She nodded, "Yes I did."

"It must have been a shock when you saw the photograph of your husband with Emily Jensen."

"It devastated me," Sandra admitted.

He was quiet as he looked at her for a moment, "When did you find the photograph?"

She blinked several times, quite startled by the question, "I…I didn't," Sandra turned to Lisbon, "You showed me the photograph at the hospital."

"Yes," Lisbon agreed, "but that wasn't the first time you'd seen it."

"Yes, yes it was."

"No," Jane stated simply, "It wasn't."

Now Sandra began to actually look afraid and Lisbon knew it was time to lay it all out. "On the night your husband was killed you said that you were in Carson City with some friends," she pulled out a file that was a copy of the traffic reports, "But an officer pulled you over for speeding on that night…you were just outside Colfax." She leveled her gaze with Sandra, "So you were in California the night of the murder…and driving back to Carson City."

Sandra looked crestfallen as she studied the paper in front of her. When she looked back up at Jane there were tears in her eyes, "I was at his work. I'd gone to bring him lunch and I saw it on top of the windshield of his car." She brushed the tears from her cheeks, "He'd been working late a lot, at least that was what he'd told me, and I knew that he would have an opportunity when I was away so I decided to drive back early and catch him in the act.

"But when I got home, he was alone. I still confronted him," she explained, "but he denied it." Sandra looked back at them but with anger in her eyes, "I saw the photo! I saw it! And still he lied right to my face." She shook her head, "Then I don't know…there was a knife on the counter and I grabbed it…next thing I know he's on the ground dead."

"And you panicked," Jane finished, "You messed up the living room to throw us off."

"I thought you would think it was a home invasion," She told him, "I just didn't know what else to do."

They were silent for a while and Sandra just continued to brush away the tears that spilled down her cheeks, "We were married for twenty-seven years…and he cheated on me. Why couldn't he just admit it?"

Lisbon decided that sometimes the truth was the best punishment, "Mrs. Hendricks you should know that you're husband wasn't having an affair."

Sandra couldn't comprehend that, "What? No I saw the photo."

"Yes you did," Jane replied, "but it wasn't what you thought. You're husband discovered a drug ring that involved another guard in the prison. The photograph was a ruse to try and blackmail him to back off."

She shook her head, "No…no, I saw it, he must have been…"

"He wasn't."

Sandra began to cry again, heart-wrenching sobs, "No…no…" she repeated over and over again. Lisbon let her cry; she knew what it was like to be so terribly wrong too.

* * *

><p>Lisbon finished signing her name to the form. She still had more paperwork now that they had finally solved the Hendricks case. There was a soft knock at her door and she looked up to see that it was Grace again.<p>

"The prison transport called they should be here in a few minutes," Grace said, "Rigsby and Cho are booking Sandra Hendricks now."

"Alright, I'll bring Jane to the garage then."

Grace lingered for a moment and then said, "Are we okay?"

Lisbon gave her a smile and nodded. "We're fine, Grace. Don't worry about it."

She looked relieved and smiled back. "Good."

Grace returned to her desk while Lisbon finished signing her name to one more form before picking up her weapon again and holstering it. She knew she wouldn't have to use it, but she liked to remind Jane that she reserved to right to shoot him if she had to.

Jane was back to lying on the sofa, apparently trying to nap. Lisbon walked over and swatted him on the head. He groaned and cracked his lids at her. "Nap time is over," she said, "You're going back to your cell."

He stood up from his couch, still grinning. "At least this time I got to see it through."

Lisbon just rolled her eyes and took his arm again to make him go faster. She wanted him on that bus and back at the prison this instant. If the _Enterprise_ was available she would have asked Scotty to beam him there for her.

Unfortunately the bus was not there when they made it back down to the garage so she was obliged to wait again. She would prefer that they did so in silence, but Jane was not the type to wait quietly.

"You could thank me for my help," Jane said, "I did solve this case for you."

"Oh you did—!" She stopped herself from protesting. There was no point since that was exactly what Jane wanted. "Whatever, I'm just glad you're leaving again."

"You despise me that much now?" he inquired.

"I always despised you," she said, "It's just now I can be more open about it."

Jane laughed and shook his head. "Really, Lisbon, you are a terrible liar and there is no point to it. Tyler is excellent proof that you were once rather fond of me."

"That was a mistake," she said, "A bout of temporary insanity."

Jane looked back at her, his grin softer now and his eyes gazing at her with some form of tenderness. Such looks were dangerous. "It wasn't a mistake," he said.

Lisbon looked away from him and searched down the street for any sign of the bus. "God, where is that thing?" she asked to no one.

"You know, it is funny that you needed my help again so soon," Jane said, "Perhaps we should set up a schedule so I will be aware of when you'll need me again."

She knew he was just teasing her—at least she hoped so—but the idea of him returning for a third case was not an amusing one. "This is the last time you'll come here."

"You thought the same thing three weeks ago," he reminded her.

"I'm serious," Lisbon said, "Next time you have information about anything, send it to someone else. Don't call me."

"I called Cho, not you."

"Well then don't call Cho, or Rigsby, or Grace or anyone connected to me for that matter," she said, "I've cut you out of my life, Jane."

Jane just smiled to himself and said, "We'll see about that."

The bus pulled up before she could demand a reason why. She didn't really care anyways, she was just glad to see him go.

"We worked together for eight years, you could at least say goodbye," Jane told her.

Lisbon rolled her eyes again. "Don't push your luck."

He chuckled again. "Goodbye, Lisbon. I look forward to seeing you again."

"You won't," she insisted.

Jane gave her his broad smile, the one that never failed to make her heart jump inside her chest. "I promise that you will."

As the bus sped away to return to the prison, Lisbon felt a sudden sinking feeling.

Jane never made a promise unless he was going to keep it.

* * *

><p>The next day things were abnormally quiet for Lisbon's team, to make up for the lack of a new case they turned to paperwork and wastebasket basketball for entertainment. It was a mundane day, much different than yesterday…but a case wasn't the only thing missing.<p>

Every so often Grace would glance over at the couch Jane had been laying on yesterday and before that for about eight years. She almost expected him to still be there, not in his prison uniform but his standard suit and trademark smile. She shouldn't be feeling this way, for the past four years they had gotten by without him…why had it seemed so natural when he'd been back?

The next time she looked over at the couch Rigsby caught her, "You too huh?"

She wasn't sure what he meant by that until he looked over at the couch as well with the same sad expression on his face, "It's weird, I mean we haven't worked with him for four years but it still…"

"It still feels like he should be here," Rigsby finished, "I know."

Grace nodded, "I know it doesn't change what happened but…I miss him sometimes."

"Jane will be back," Cho didn't even look up from his paperwork.

Both of his teammates turned to look at him, "No," Rigsby pointed out, "Lisbon made it clear that she was done with him."

Cho leveled his gaze with him, "But he's not done with her."

"But he's in prison," Grace replied, "what can he do?"

"He won't be there forever, when he gets out he's going to do whatever it takes to have Tyler in his life," Cho explained.

"Lisbon would never let that happen," Rigsby said.

"Would she have a choice?"

Grace took in what he said, "Jane is Tyler's father, he has rights."

Rigsby considered it for a moment and shook his head, "_If_ he does comes back someday… then what?"

Grace was quiet for a while, "I don't know," she admitted, "it doesn't make the past any different, it doesn't change the investigation and what we went through…I'm still mad at him," she decided.

Rigsby nodded, "He still killed a man," he agreed.

Cho didn't state his feelings on the matter but finally asked, "But do you want him back here working with us?"

All three of them thought about that for a long time, looking at one another to see how they all felt, to see if it was safe to admit the truth. Grace finally said, "I just don't want Lisbon to be hurt again."

"That isn't what he asked," Rigsby told her.

"I know," she said. She was quiet again for a moment, "I wish we could go back. Back to before Jane killed Red John, before the investigation…before everything happened. That's what I want." Grace shook her head, "but it can't." She sat up straighter in her seat, a decision made, "I'm still behind Lisbon, whatever she says."

Rigsby nodded, "Same here."

Cho took a bit longer, "I understand what he did, why he did it. But I'll stand by Lisbon, I always have."

Grace was glad that there was a resolution to their feelings…but she kept wondering about what Cho had said. He was right; Jane wasn't going to sit quietly by. She remembered her conversation with him, the determination in his eyes.

Jane was up to something; she just didn't know when or where the explosion would take place.

* * *

><p>Every day at two in the afternoon, a prisoner walked down the hall pushing a little cart. He would pick up the mail from the cart and slide it through the bars for the inmates. For most, it was letters from family but Patrick Jane had no family left. That didn't mean he never got any mail, to the contrary, he received quite a bit. They were mostly letters from citizens, people who were grateful to him for killing Red John.<p>

When the mail came that day there were four letters. Jane didn't recognize any of the addresses or people, but it was always his habit to open each letter and read it.

_Dear Mr. Jane,_

_ I want to thank you for what you did. My daughter was in school in California when he killed his third victim and I was terrified that she would be next. Now I can sleep at night…_

_Dear Mr. Jane,_

_ I'm a true crime writer from Wisconsin and I am researching the Red John case. I was hoping that maybe you could give me an interview…_

_ Dear Asshole,_

_ How could you kill Red John like that? The man was a legend, a god among darkness. He didn't deserve to die in such a way. If you had to kill him, it should have been more elegant…_

It seemed this stack was pointless like the others, though the last one made him smile. Poor troubled soul, they needed to find some other way of expressing their anger. He wasn't sure what was worse, the psychos or the well wishers. The people who thanked him always meant well, but he wondered why they even did it. Surely they knew he didn't kill Red John for them. Maybe they liked to believe that fantasy, turn him into some sort of vigilante like Batman. It hardly mattered.

The fourth letter captured his attention from the start.

_Dear Mr. Jane,_

_ It seems rather strange to write you this now. It is entirely likely that you will never read this letter, but I felt compelled to make contact._

_ Call it strange, but I seem to know you. I have been following the Red John case closely since his first kill. The man always fascinated me, so dark and mysterious. Not entirely unlike yourself. That may be bold, but as I said I feel as is I know you. I felt your pain when you lost your wife and child. Then when you joined the CBI I kept track of your name in cases. I had a feeling that one day, you would find your revenge._

_ Perhaps I should explain more about myself and why I am so fascinated by your life and Red John. I am a psychologist, recently graduated. I am studying criminal psychology and you must admit that Red John is one for many books. He is still a subject of interest even after his passing. _

_ I always thought that he enjoyed the kill. It was a sort of theatre. Unlike other killers who love the plan more than the act, I think Red John enjoyed the kill. I can imagine the hot, metallic smell of blood excited him. The feel of the warm liquid spraying across his face and hands would have compelled him to cut more. The face on the wall was always his final touch, his stamp that his masterpiece was complete._

_ I apologize for sounding morbid. Many of my friends say I can get that way. I truly am hoping that if I can delve into his mind then I can decipher any criminal._

_ Do you miss him? Maybe not the man himself, but the chase? I have a feeling had you been the one to die, Red John would miss you. He liked having you pursue him. You were different from the many cops and agents that sniffed out his trail. You are like him. You saw what he saw. You understood him more than anyone. More than that, he created you. He made you what you are now. That would thrill him._

_ I sincerely hope that with his passing you have been able to find peace. I won't thank you for doing what you did nor will I criticize you. If you have managed to put your family's deaths behind you then that it was right. You did what was right for you, that is enough._

_Don't feel the need to write back. I may send my own thoughts to you from time to time. I hope you don't mind. Maybe I'm not quite ready to let Red John go. I hope you have though. I hope you find yourself a new life now that he is gone._

_Sincerely,_

_Dr. Jeane Lohr_

It was a strange letter, by far the strangest he'd had. Jane thought about throwing it away like the others but something kept him from doing that. He read it over again, seeking what it was that attracted his attention. The writing wasn't special nor was the Chicago address familiar. Maybe it was the voice. The way it spoke to him. This Dr. Lohr seemed to actually understand him and Red John.

"Jane?" the gruff voice of Williams attracted his attention. "Stand up. The warden says someone is here to talk to you. Someone important."

* * *

><p>Lisbon was happy to have things return to normal. The case was solved; as of yesterday Jane was back in his cell and no longer torturing her in the halls of the CBI. In a few minutes she would go home to her son and she wouldn't have to face Jane again.<p>

Unless by some unlucky twist of fate she needed his help on a case again.

She shook her head, no she wouldn't think of things like that. Jane was out of her life for good.

Her phone rang, breaking her thoughts, "Agent Lisbon," she answered.

"Lisbon, I need to see you in my office," her boss Hightower said sternly, "immediately."

A knot formed in her stomach, this didn't sound good. She wracked her brain to come up with some suitable explanation for her team being in trouble but couldn't find one. Sure she had just worked with Jane but all of his antics had been in reason, it shouldn't have caused any problems.

She made her way to Hightower's office with much trepidation but was determined to not show it, "You wanted to see me?" she asked nonchalantly.

Hightower nodded, "Have a seat," and gestured to the chair across from her desk. When Lisbon sat down Hightower looked through a file on her desk, "I looked over your work on the Hendricks case."

Lisbon nodded but her heart beat quickly, "We found the killer."

"Yes you did," Hightower replied, "with Jane's help."

Lisbon leaned forward defensively, "He had a connection to the case and offered his support. His actions were within reason and carefully monitored…"

Hightower held a hand up, "Your team did good work Agent Lisbon, I have no complaints." That surprised Lisbon but she wasn't about to turn down a compliment for her team. Her boss looked back to the file, "Jane also offered his services in a triple homicide a few weeks ago."

Lisbon nodded, "A witness, Kyle Matthews was his former cellmate. Jane was instrumental in helping his former cellmate. Jane was instrumental in helping us locate Matthews and proving his innocence," she admitted though it left a bad taste in her mouth.

Hightower simply nodded and closed the file to look Lisbon in the eye, "I'm going to be straight with you Lisbon. I received a call from the parole board today," she paused and Lisbon noticed the hesitation, "Jane is being released."

A gasp escaped her lips; she couldn't believe it. It was impossible! God couldn't possibly hate her that much. "But he had three years left before he was eligible," she said dumbly.

Hightower nodded and Lisbon could see the sympathy in her eyes, "Apparently the families of Red John's victims have been pressuring the Governor for his release. It was finally granted on a certain basis…he will be working for the CBI again." Lisbon's head shot up her eyes wide and she suddenly had a very, very bad feeling, "I want him on your team."

Lisbon shook her head firmly, "No, you can't. He can't!"

"You are the only one he will listen to."

"If that were true then he wouldn't have killed a man!"

"Regardless," Hightower replied, "Jane respects you. He works well with your team and the past few weeks have proven that you can control him."

"Not well enough, he still killed a man."

Hightower leaned forward and asked, "You know him better than anyone, in your opinion do you think he would kill anyone again?"

Lisbon thought about her answer for a while. It was Jane, he was unpredictable. What could would her opinion do when it came to him? But she remembered all of those games he played, how he tossed away the shotgun after he saved her life like the weapon was poisonous. She did know him a bit.

"No," she finally said, "Jane avoids violence…for the most part. I don't think he would kill anyone unless it was to protect someone else."

Hightower nodded. "That is what I thought. And since you know him so well, that is why I want him to work with you."

"Please," she pleaded, "You know I can't work with him again."

Hightower knew the real meaning behind Lisbon's plea, "You are my best Agent, I know you can put aside your personal feelings." She eyed Lisbon sternly, "This isn't a question Lisbon, we _need_ this to go well. The public has always sided with Jane and the CBI has taken a hit from it all because we didn't. On Monday Jane will be working here again, with _your_ team."

She was trapped and she knew it, there was no way she could get out of it unless she quit. Lisbon slowly nodded, "Yes ma'am," and she stood to leave.

"Lisbon," Hightower said, stopping her in her tracks, "I understand how you feel and for that I'm sorry…but this needs to be done."

Lisbon didn't reply but just slowly walked out the door.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

When she opened the door to her apartment she was greeted by the sound of little feet running. "Mommy!" her son shouted gleefully and immediately wrapped himself around her legs.

To her surprise, David popped his head around the corner and smiled, "Hey babe. I sent Natalie home so I could surprise you."

Lisbon smiled a little and nodded while untangling herself from her son, "I need a drink," she admitted.

He grinned, "Just step into the kitchen and I'll take care of you, doctor's orders," he teased.

Tyler scampered over to the living room floor and plopped down in front of the TV. "I put on a movie for him," David explained, "I reckon we have about an hour before it's over."

She nodded but took a long pull from the wine glass he handed her. She didn't say anything, didn't even look at him but stared at the brick red liquid as if it would tell her fortune. David noticed, "You alright."

Lisbon shook her head, "No…no I'm not."

"Anything I did?"

She smiled at the ridiculous questions, "Of course not."

He set her down on a kitchen chair and kept a hand on her arm, "Then what is it?"

Lisbon hesitated, she wasn't entirely certain she was ready to tell him everything…but she desperately needed to, there was no avoiding it now. "I never told you about Tyler's father."

"Yeah," David said simply, "I figured it was something you didn't want to dwell on…that you would tell me when you were ready."

He was just so understanding, how had she gotten so lucky to have him in her life? Lisbon sighed, "He was a coworker of mine."

David's eyes widened, "Not Cho or Rigsby…"

Lisbon couldn't help it, she laughed, "No! What kind of ridiculous thought is that?"

He laughed too, "Sorry, sometimes my mind goes to very dark places."

It took a moment for Lisbon to shake her laughter, but she had needed that. With a renewed strength she continued, "He was a civilian consultant…and it was just once. We agreed that we wouldn't let it interfere with our work and that was the end of it."

David nodded, "Okay…so what happened to him?"

That was the million-dollar question and Lisbon found she couldn't tell him right away. Instead she backtracked, "Do you remember the serial killer Red John?"

"Yeah," he said, "My mom was terrified of him, kept checking her locks at night for a long time."

"I was in charge of the task force that was trying to find him," she told him flatly, "Anyways Jane…Patrick Jane, that's his name. His family was killed by Red John because of something he said…he blamed himself and swore revenge." She explained, "He was very good at reading people, so good he pretended to be a psychic. After his family was killed he became a consultant and helped us catch killers…waiting for the day Red John would be found so _he_ could kill him."

"I remember when Red John was killed," David said simply, "can't say I was sad to see he was dead." Then realization dawned on him, "You mean…"

She nodded, "Jane killed Red John." Lisbon looked away, "I was shot by one of Red John's followers and was in the hospital when my team told me what he'd done." She drew in a ragged breath, "The same day I found out I was pregnant."

David covered his mouth with his hand and shook his head, "So he didn't know about Tyler."

"No," Lisbon told him, "I didn't speak to him for years."

He noticed her use of the past tense, "But you have now."

She looked up at him with big round eyes, "My triple homicide a few weeks ago, a witness went on the lam and he was an old cell mate of Jane's. He helped us find him and all he wanted in return was for me to go and see him."

Her voice grew strained, "I just wanted him to know the damage he had done but he…he said all of his sacrifices were worth it. So I gave him something to regret. I knew that knowing he had lost his son would hurt him."

"It's understandable," David said, "he hurt you and you wanted to hurt him back."

"I did. He helped me on my last case and told me that he was 'impressed' by my cruelty. I had well and truly 'broken him'."

"Is that what you wanted?"

Lisbon shook her head, "I don't know."

David was silent and pondered everything she had said but one questions plagued him, "Why are you telling me this now?"

She looked down at her wine, "Because he is being released."

"What?"

Lisbon glanced back at him; "He is being paroled early on the condition that he work for the CBI again…for my team."

David stared at her in shock, "Why?" but one look from her answered his question, "Tyler."

She nodded, "I gave him a reason to regret…I also gave him a reason to get out."

David sighed, "It's hard to blame him, he is Tyler's father, he would want to be involved in his life."

"No!" Lisbon exclaimed, "No! He chose to become a criminal, he chose to take that life, he won't have Tyler now too. I won't allow it."

"Teresa…"

"No David," Lisbon cut in, "I can't go back down that road again…I can't go through that a second time."

"Alright," he said softly, "Alright."

She sighed and sipped her wine as both of them sank into silence. She knew what he was thinking because the same problem haunted her mind.

How would she be able to avoid this?

Lisbon knew the answer but she didn't want to admit the simple truth.

She couldn't.

* * *

><p>Jane exited the prison doors and stepped into the sunshine as a free man for the first time in four years. Perhaps it was a cliché thing but he felt hopeful, like a weight had been lifted, and most of all he felt really good. He actually stopped for a few moments to feel the sunlight on his face and the stretch his arms. Prison had a way of making one feel cramped and trapped.<p>

He smiled as he stepped into the parking lot and caught sight of Cho who stood stoically. When he saw Jane he simply gestured to the black SUV behind him.

"Good morning," Jane said in greeting.

Cho didn't say 'hello' or 'it's good to see you'. Instead he said, "You knew I was coming?"

"Not exactly, but I had a hunch. No doubt Hightower informed you all of my release so I guessed that you would come to get me."

Cho nodded then said, "Get in." Jane gaily whistled a tune as he pulled himself into the passenger seat. "Lisbon is going to be pissed," Cho told him simply.

"I know," Jane said with a grin, "That makes it all the more fun."

As they drove out of the prison and onto the highway the land turned from a cluttered expanse of buildings to a wide stretch of open earth. He turned to look out the window and watch the landscape that suddenly seemed full of possibilities.

* * *

><p>AN: And so it begins, the greatest barrier between them is now gone. So what happens next? Wait and see! Review and we'll work faster :-D


	3. As It Once Was

Disclaimer: If we owned The Mentalist Rigsby and Jane would be required to be shirtless every episode...sadly that hasn't happened yet

A/N Nerwen Aldarion: Yay! New chapter and this time Jane is out of prison and back in his suits. But don't expect a happy reunion, there is a lot Jane doesn't know about yet. What is that exactly? Read on and see!

A/N Tinuviel Undomiel: Yep, we're excited about this chapter. It was fun to have Jane out of handcuffs at last. Hopefully school won't get in the way again and we can crank out chapter four faster. Enjoy it everyone, I know I loved writing it.

Fun Note 1: Owain Yeomen made my year! He tweeted me back! I was feeling silly so I tweeted Amanda Raghetti (AKA Van Pelt) and asked her if Owain Yeomen was a good kisser. Instead he tweeted ME back with this "he's amazing! Take it from me! ;-) " LOL I died happy right then and there!

Fun Note 2: I got bored one day and inspiration struck me because of the new promo stills for the season 4 premiere. To that end I made a Desktop for Redemption! You can find it here /r/2jahh6e/7 but there is also a link to it on my profile page. Check it out, it even has a picture of Tyler!

* * *

><p>Chapter 3: As It Once Was<p>

Lisbon did not sleep at all Sunday night. She would turn over and see the clock tick away until Monday morning. Jane's first day back.

She wound up just shutting off her alarm a half an hour early and taking an extra long shower. The hot water did nothing to relax her tense muscles nor to calm her nerves. She wrapped a towel around her and went to her closet. What should she wear?

She took out a green blouse, remembering how it brought out the green in her eyes. Jane had once given her a similar compliment about emeralds he had bought for her. Well this was a similar shade.

Wait a minute! What was she thinking? She wasn't trying to impress Jane. This wasn't a date, Jane wasn't her boyfriend.

Lisbon quickly put the blouse back as if it were covered in a poison ivy. She took out a red top with a grey suit: classic, nice and professional. That was how she was going to be with Jane. They were co-workers, that was all. It was part of the job.

She dressed quickly and went down to the kitchen to start breakfast. She decided to make French Toast as a treat for Tyler and herself. Before this she grabbed the paper where it had been left at her front stoop just like every morning. But this time the headline stopped her cold.

_Red John Hero Finally Set Free_ screamed from the first page. The content was a fluff piece that the headline warned her it would be. The reporter was all too happy to write about Jane's actions as if he was a modern day Batman. It also included interviews of the families of the victims of Red John the money quote being from the brother of Carter Peaks, "When Navy SEALS killed Bin Laden they were applauded as heroes, but when a man kills Red John he is put away for manslaughter, how can this injustice occur?"

"_It's not the same thing"_ Lisbon thought, Jane wasn't thinking about the other victims of Red John, he wasn't thinking about the lives he was saving or putting the fears of the public at ease. He had only thought of revenge…it wasn't about justice but just a selfish desire for vengeance.

Unfortunately the public was decidedly against her. A poll along with the article showed that seventy-three percent of those polled believed that Jane should have been let off for his crime, that the end justified the means.

It was no wonder Hightower had agreed to bring him back, with that much goodwill on his side even four years later, the action of allowing him back on the team would go a long way to winning back the good opinion of the public.

Lisbon put the paper aside and told herself to focus on breakfast, she would have to focus on Jane again soon enough. Once it was done, she went back upstairs to wake Tyler up. His sweet smile always made her feel better, if only for a little while.

He was excited to find French Toast on the table, his favorite. His face was covered in syrup, but that didn't matter. Someone was happy this morning.

"Mommy, are you sick?" he asked.

Lisbon swallowed down her hot coffee and then said, "No, baby, why do you think that?"

"You're so quiet," he said, "is something wrong?"

He was his father's son, an observant little monkey. Lisbon patted his head and said, "I'm just tired, sweetie. I have a long day coming."

She chuckled and picked up a napkin to wipe the syrup off of his face. "Mommy," he said, "I can make it better."

Tyler help up his wand and waved it around. "Abra cadabra shazam!" He touched the wand to her head and then smiled. "All better."

Lisbon blinked back tears and nodded. "Come and give me a hug."

He wiggled out of his booster seat and jumped into her lap to hug her with all the strength his little arms could muster. Lisbon hugged him back, touching the feather softness of his curls. A part of her wanted to call in sick and just stay with Tyler. It would be so much easier than dealing with Jane. But she could already hear Jane's voice in her head. "Coward."

No, she couldn't run from him. She would just have to deal.

She couldn't guess what Jane was going to do, the man was as predictable as a tornado. She knew he would want to be a part of Tyler's life. But she couldn't let him have that, not yet.

Natalie arrived on time and Lisbon kissed Tyler goodbye and went to work. She parked by the garage and went through the usual security procedures. Once she was done, Lisbon got on the elevator. With each floor she went up her heart picked up it's pace. By the time she reached her floor it was one step below heart attack range.

She took a peak at the squad room but saw that it was empty. Jane wasn't there yet. It was a relief to know that she had a few more minutes to work on her composure. Lisbon went into her office and sat down at her desk.

She turned on her computer and looked at the e-mails, nothing urgent. There was one file discreetly named "vid" on her desktop that kept catching her attention. She hadn't looked at it for a while, but now was as good a time as any to remind herself of who she was dealing with…and to punish herself for her failure.

She clicked the file and her screen changed into the food court at the mall. The camera was set at an angle, but she could see Jane walking towards the other man: Red John. They spoke, but she had no idea what they said. Then there were the bursts of light from the gun Jane concealed in his jacket. Lisbon turned away from the picture.

When she had first seen the video she hadn't been able to believe that this was real. But it was. Jane had admitted what he had done, shown no remorse. She hadn't expected him to. She certainly didn't mourn Red John, but she couldn't condone murder. Justice was justice, revenge was something else.

The door to her office opened. Lisbon clicked off the video in a flurry of motion and then looked up.

Jane.

For a moment she could pretend that the past four years never happened. He was wearing the same suit, absent a tie. He had the same stunningly good looks that had frozen her the first time she had seen him. Those beautiful eyes of his had a power that never lost its potency. On the surface he was the same Patrick Jane, but she knew that everything had changed.

"Good morning, Lisbon," he said and smiled. God no, not that smile. That smile was dangerous. It was more persuasive than any words that fell from his mouth. If her racing heart was any indication, she was in trouble.

She could only hope that her face betrayed nothing. No signs of anxiety or any shadow of warmth. She had to betray nothing. Professional. She had to be professional.

"Sit down," she said evenly. No lingering anger or any friendliness. She was his boss, that was all. And the mother of his child, but that had nothing to do with this.

Jane obeyed her—for once—and took the seat in front of her desk. "I was hoping we could talk about—."

"I have to explain the full detail of your early parole," Lisbon cut in to say, "You are to work for the CBI, using every talent you have available to help us solve crimes within reason. You are not to carry a weapon nor are you to handle one except in extreme circumstances. You are under my command and must obey my orders. If I feel you have violated these terms, then I will send a message to the parole board and you will have to serve the rest of your sentence in prison. Do you understand these terms?"

Jane nodded. "Yes, of course."

"Good." Lisbon took the form from her desk and handed it to him. "Sign at the bottom."

Jane took a pen from the cup at her desk and signed his name in his even scrawl. Lisbon took the form and signed her name under his. "Thank you," she said, "I will take this to Hightower. You can wait in the squad room until we get a case."

Jane watched Lisbon leave her office and head to Hightower's. He had expected the cold shoulder from her, but he wasn't sure if it was better than her fiery temper. Clearly she was not going to discuss Tyler with him, not yet anyways. Perhaps when they got a case she would loosen up and he could get her talk. They would have to eventually.

He went to the squad room and took up his brown couch again. It was nice to be back sans cuffs. Of course things wouldn't be the same, the team wasn't as friendly as they used to be. It was this IA investigation, the one Lisbon had mentioned but provided few details. He would have dig into that in order to get to the root of the problem.

Patience was the key here. He would have to be patient in order to earn back their trust and friendship. Cho wasn't an issue, but Grace and Rigsby were still carrying a grudge. He had to learn more about why Rigsby was so angry with him, it must deal with the investigation. Grace sympathized, he could see that, but she was firmly in Lisbon's camp.

Of course Lisbon was going to be hard and getting early parole certainly hadn't endeared her to him any further. She was also stubborn so pressing the issue too much wouldn't work. It was a very delicate issue.

"…saw her car in the lot, she's here early," Rigsby's voice came from down the hall.

"She's trying to set boundaries," Cho said. Jane smiled at his correct assessment.

"Jane is supposed to come in today," Grace said. "Do you think he's already here?"

Jane couldn't help but say just as they rounded the corner, "He's here."

The three of them froze for a second, caught red handed so to speak. Cho was the first one to recover. "Hey Jane," he said in his usual stoic way.

"Hi," Rigsby said with a nod while Grace gave him a little embarrassed wave.

Cho went to his desk and the others followed suit. Jane watched as they pretended to be busy, going over paperwork and checking tip lines. Grace failed miserably and kept sneaking glances at him. He smiled at her every time but she always snapped back to attention. Yes, he had lots of ground to make up on.

There was a familiar ring coming from Lisbon's office. They all looked in that direction, clearly hoping that it was a homicide. They needed the case in order to cut the tension in the air. Their hopes came to fruition when Lisbon walked into the squad room with a slip of paper in her hand.

"Someone was found dead on fifty-ninth street in downtown," Lisbon said.

Rigsby raised his brows at the address. "That's a bad part of town."

Lisbon nodded. "It's probably just a drug deal gone bad, but the Sacramento PD is swamped so they want us to take it. Grab your gear and let's go."

The others all grabbed their side arms and turned off their computers, but Jane just stood up from his couch with a grin. He was ready to do what he did best.

* * *

><p>The team had never been so grateful to drive up to a crime scene, it had only been a short drive but the silence seemed to have made it three times longer. How long would it take for the awkwardness to wear off? Lisbon didn't know but at least when they got out of the car they had something else to focus on.<p>

The officer in charge walked up to the car, "I'm Officer White," he said simply, "You the CBI?"

She nodded, "I'm Agent Lisbon," and she turned to her team, "Agents Cho, Van Pelt and Rigsby. And our consultant Patrick Jane." It came off so easily she was actually surprised by that. She fell into that rhythm naturally, as if he had never been absent.

Officer White's eyes flicked to Jane's and stayed for a moment, maybe he recognized Jane from the front-page headline or maybe he was just curious about the consultant. At any rate he didn't push it, something Lisbon was grateful for. White simply gestured, "This way," and led them towards an isolated corner of the building, hidden from view by dumpsters.

"A couple teenagers found the body this morning," White explained. The body was slumped up against a wall on his side, arms outstretched towards the pavement. A clean cut man in his early forties wearing loose fitting jeans and a nice button down shirt, he certainly didn't look the type to be slumming it at the end of town.

"The drivers license in his wallet I.D.'s him as Mark Spencer," the coroner said, an older man named Callen that Lisbon had worked with a half a dozen times, "He was shot from the front a couple of times, I can't tell you the caliber until I get him back to HQ, but from the size of the entrance wounds I'd guess something small like a .32."

"Thanks Callen," Lisbon said and turned to her team, "Any guesses to why he was here?"

Cho looked down the street a couple of times, "Fifty-ninth is home to a lot of dealers," he pointed out, "No car keys, so he must have walked or taken a cab or a bus."

Rigsby nodded, "I'm thinking the guy comes here to pick up a bag but doesn't have enough cash, dealer gets mad and pops him a few to teach the next guy a lesson."

"A good theory, but a wrong one," Jane said. All of them turned their heads to the consultant who was peering over the body closely, looking intently at one of the victim's hands. He smiled at the coroner, "Would you open the fingers of his left hand please."

Callen looked at Jane warily and then to Lisbon who simply nodded for him to do as Jane said. It took a bit of carefully pulling but he was able to pry the fingers open without doing any damage. With his gloved hand he held up a small black chip with the number seventeen etched in its face.

"What is that?" Van Pelt asked as they all stepped up to get a closer look.

"A sobriety chip," Jane explained, "from NA, apparently Mark Spencer has been clean for seventeen years."

"That still doesn't disprove the theory that he was here to buy drugs," Rigsby pointed out, "he could have had a relapse."

Jane turned to Rigsby; "Someone who is falling off the wagon after trying to stay sober would undoubtedly have a guilty conscious. The last thing he would want would be a reminder of all the hard work he has put into staying clean." He smiled, "He had the chip clutched tightly in his hand, that tells me that he was here for another reason entirely and was holding on to the chip to draw strength from it."

It was a shrewd analysis and precisely the reason why Jane could be a valuable asset at times. Lisbon simply nodded and turned to her team, "Cho, Rigsby, scout out the area, see if anybody spotted our victim. We'll take the body back to HQ, meet up with us at the Spencer's home when you are done."

"You got it boss," Rigsby said before he and Cho carried off her orders.

Van Pelt was ready to help Callen prepare the body for transport and Jane had to move out of the way to let them through. But Lisbon stopped him with a simple nod in his direction, "Nice catch," she told him simply, very diplomatic and professional.

But when Jane smiled at her she didn't return it, instead she walked off in the direction of the car.

* * *

><p>Mark Spencer's apartment was a small one bedroom in a much safer part of the city. The apartment itself was decorated like a lot of the homes of single men, large furniture, few knick-knacks and expensive electronics. What struck Lisbon the most was how neat and clean the place was, it was almost as sterile as a hospital.<p>

"Wow," Van Pelt said as she stepped through the door, "this makes my apartment look like a barnyard."

Lisbon smiled at her statement, of course with a three year old at home _her_ place looked like a nuclear bomb had gone off compared to this. Jane just looked around the place like always, studying every little thing, "It's not surprising really. His need to keep himself clean manifested in a desire for control in every facet of his life."

"Then what was he doing in Drug Alley?" Van Pelt wondered aloud.

The same question was plaguing Lisbon's mind, "Start looking around," she told them, "see if we can find something that can give us an idea as to what he was up to last night." Van Pelt and her quickly pulled out some latex gloves while Jane did what he did best, looking around and forming judgments of his own. "If you plan on touching anything put some gloves on," she warned him.

Jane was studying a painting that was hanging on the wall, one of the few decorations in the whole apartment, it showed a person standing in an empty room, the shadow and sunlight from the window splaying across him. "Interesting," he remarked, "a man trapped in darkness and light, symbolic."

"You think our victim is an artist?" Van Pelt asked.

"No, Mr. Spencer is a man that desires control, he wouldn't be able to release his creativity in such a manner," Jane explained, "But someone gave him this." He took another long look at the painting before turning away, "It's very good."

Lisbon ignored him; she was intent on going through the mail that had been neatly stacked on the small table by the kitchen door. "Elpis Rehabilitation Center," she read aloud from one of the envelopes.

"Elpis," Jane repeated, "the Greek goddess of hope, the only spirit to remain in Pandora's box to comfort mankind."

She rolled her eyes; of course he would know that. "It looks like our victim might have worked there, we'll check it out once we are done here."

There was a noise at the front door and the knob began to slowly turn. She caught Van Pelt's eye who also noticed the noise. Instinctively her hand went for her side arm and she turned around to confront them.

Rigsby jumped a little at her movement, "Whoa it's just us."

Lisbon breathed a sigh of relief, "Announce yourself next time, you scared the crap out of me."

He smiled; now that the threat of an intruder was gone the situation was kind of funny, "Sorry."

She knew it was partly her fault; her nerves were on edge now that Jane was quickly becoming a permanent fixture in her life again. "Rigsby, you and Van Pelt search the bedroom, we'll keep searching in here."

The two agents were quick to follow her command. Spencer's bedroom was as neat as the rest of the apartment, not a wrinkle or a crease in the bedspread. Rigsby took it all in and summed it up nicely, "God did this guy have OCD or what?"

Grace nodded, "Jane said that it was a way to keep control of his life so he wouldn't start using again." Immediately she grew silent as she realized what she had said, a reminder that Jane was back for good, "Is it just me or is this a little…"

"No," Rigsby but in, "It's weird for me too."

"Right," She said, relieved that she wasn't alone in this, "I can only imagine what Lisbon is going through right now."

"She'll be alright," Rigsby replied as he opened the drawers of the bureau, "She knows how to handle Jane."

Grace stood up straight, "Does she? I mean look what happened…and then there's Tyler." She shook her head, "I don't think she was prepared for all of this."

Rigsby looked her in the eye, "We'll get through it…maybe even for the better." Grace smiled softly at that thought and he turned back to going through the victim's things. "Everything is so neat," he told her, "I'm almost afraid to touch it."

"I can't imagine living like this."

"It was just second nature to him," Rigsby explained. He glanced around the room again, "Well he wasn't married and no signs of a girlfriend, guess he didn't have much of a love life at the moment."

"I know how that is," Grace muttered softly under her breath.

Rigsby heard her, which reminded him of something he had been wondering about her for a while now. "How are you doing?" he asked, "I mean I know you haven't really been in anything serious since…well you know. But are you at least putting yourself out there?"

Grace was more than a little uncomfortable broaching the subject with Rigsby but it was still nice to know that he cared, "I've been on a couple of blind dates but they were…disastrous." She shook her head, "I don't know, I guess I don't really trust my own judgment anymore."

Rigsby looked at her a little sadly, "You shouldn't let one bad apple ruin the whole bunch Grace."

She smiled back at him for his encouragement but something caught her eyes before she could reply. There was an answering machine on the bedside table and it was blinking franticly. "Someone left him a message," she told him before pressing play.

"Mark it's Lucy, don't be an ass, just pick up the damn phone," the voice of a very pissed off woman spoke, "look I know about the crap you pulled during the meeting Saturday. This is important Mark! I swear to God if you mess this up I will kill you!"

There was a beep followed by the animated voice declaring that there were no new messages. Grace looked to Rigsby with raised eyebrows, "We need to find Lucy."

"Yeah," Rigsby agreed, "she might have made good on her threat."

* * *

><p>Lisbon was grateful to make it back to HQ. Jane couldn't poke and prod through things he shouldn't there and it was easier to keep an eye on him. She had the team sift through the evidence the collected while she went to her office to update Hightower on her progress. Her boss had insisted immediate word on Jane's return to the field.<p>

But when she walked into her office her attention was captured by a single red rose placed in a little glass vase. There was a note next to it that said _"I came by, but you were out on a case. I hope your day goes well—David."_

Everything seemed a bit better because of that gesture. Lisbon sat down at her desk and picked up her phone. Hightower could wait a bit.

After two rings, David answered. "Hey sexy."

Lisbon smiled. "I thought that was your nickname."

He laughed a little. "I take it you're at your office now."

"Yes and I'm staring at the most beautiful rose I've ever seen," Lisbon said, "Any idea who gave me that?"

"I don't know, but he must be one great guy," he said, "Maybe you should dump me and find him."

"I'll get right on that," she teased. After they both laughed a bit she said, "Thank you, David, it's just the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me."

"Well I'm glad my evil plan worked," David said, "So tell me, how's it been so far?"

Lisbon thought over the past few hours: the meeting in her office and the crime scene. Jane was still Jane, but nothing monumental had happened. It could have been worse. "Not so bad," she said, "I know the others are a little awkward around him, but I'm trying to keep things professional."

"Have you talked to him about Tyler?"

"No," Lisbon said.

"Are you going to?"

"I'm holding it off as long as I can," she said.

"Is that really the best idea?" David asked, "Maybe you should just get it over with."

"I don't know," she admitted with a sigh, "Right now I have to figure out what Jane is after and if I can even trust him again. I can't let him in my son's life until then."

"I understand. I was just wondering." There was a long pause before David asked, "How are you feeling having him back in your life?"

Talk about a loaded question. Lisbon straightened her pens on her desk while she mulled over it. "It's strange," she finally said, "Sometimes it feels so natural but then I remember and…I'm seeing this as part of the job. That's the best thing to do."

"Good," David said, "Now on to a more enjoyable topic. I have tomorrow night off."

Lisbon grinned. "Oh do you? Well, I suppose you can go to bed early then."

"Not exactly my idea."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Jane had noticed Lisbon's absence in the squad room and decided to find out what she was up to. If she was alone, the plan was to bring up Tyler. But he heard her familiar laugh and listened just outside the door that was open just a crack.

"Yeah, that sounds great," Lisbon said, "I think I have some wine we can have with that. A nice romantic dinner."

Ah, it was that boyfriend of hers, the one he knew so little about. Yes it would be good to stay and eavesdrop a bit.

"No, he still hasn't given that up. Yeah, he's already said he wants to be a magician for Halloween. Yes I can blame you, you took him to that show. Now I have an aspiring Houdini running around my house."

Jane smiled a bit. It couldn't grow to a full fledged one because his heart was only half in it. He now knew Tyler liked magic tricks, that was important information. But it seemed this boyfriend was the only father figure he knew at the moment.

It was essential that he find out more about this man. If he was in his son's life then Jane wanted to know about him.

* * *

><p>Lisbon left Hightower's office with some pride this time; at least she had been able to report that Jane was behaving himself for the moment. It was simply another reminder that she needed things to go well with Jane; of course she also needed to make sure Jane didn't mess up any more investigations. Sometimes those two things didn't necessarily go hand in hand.<p>

Either way Lisbon knew she was walking a fine line, she just hoped she didn't fall flat on her face by the end of it.

She entered the squad room once again with a manner that said business, "What have we got?" she asked and did her best to ignore Jane who was lying on the couch. Some things never changed.

"I found the website for Elpis Rehabilitation Center," Van Pelt explained, "According to the staff page, Mark Spencer was one of the counselors and sponsors there."

"Fits with what we found at his place," Rigsby pointed out.

"What about the voicemail, any headway on that?" Lisbon continued.

"Nothing concrete," Van Pelt admitted, "but there is a Lucy Meyer that works as the medical counselor there."

"I doubt that's a coincidence," Lisbon decided. She turned to Van Pelt, "Good work, keep digging into the victim's files, see if you can find something that someone would want him dead for."

"I'm on it," she assured her and turned back to her computer.

Lisbon looked at Cho, "Cho, find out what Callen can tell us about when the victim died, tell him I want to see the autopsy report as soon as possible. Rigsby and I will go to the Elpis Center and talk to the staff, see what they know."

Rigsby grabbed his gear and was ready to follow his boss out the door but she stopped to face the couch, "Jane," she asked calmly, "are you coming?"

Jane smiled like always, "Wouldn't miss it."

Lisbon simply nodded and led the way to the parking lot.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

The Elpis Rehabilitation Center was a large red brick building only a couple of miles away from Fifty-ninth Street. But this section of the city boasted a lower crime rate than the small strip cops nicknamed Drug Alley, though the edges of that crime border were getting fuzzier each year.

The center itself had a modest exterior that still had a bit of graffiti clinging to the sides of it, no doubt the work of local misfits that found pleasure in mocking the righteous works conducted inside.

Once inside they were led to the office of Derek Adler the staff supervisor of the center who quickly turned from kind and accommodating to deeply in shock once she informed them of why they were there. "I don't believe it, Mark's dead! Are you sure?"

"We found his driver's license at the scene," Lisbon explained.

"I simply can't believe it," he repeated, "Mark is something of a figurehead here. He came to this facility when it was still just a few people meeting in the basement of a rec center, he stayed clean for seventeen years." Derek looked up at her proudly, "he devoted his life to helping others like him, he knew how to get to people when they needed him most and he had the highest success rate among our counselors." He shook his head, "This is just going to devastate so many people here."

"Do you know anyone who didn't get along with him?" Lisbon asked, "someone who might want to harm him?"

"No, none," Adler told them, "I can't think of anyone that would want to hurt him, everyone liked him."

"Including yourself?" Jane had been watching Adler carefully as he did everyone, Lisbon could only guess to what he had seen in Adler to ask that.

He turned to Jane and looked at him severely, "Of course." Jane smiled and leaned back but didn't reply.

A young blond woman in her early twenties stepped into the office with a few files in her arms, "I brought the financial statements you asked for." She smiled sweetly at Adler but her eyes darted to the three other occupants in her office, a mixture of curiosity and something else in her eyes, something Lisbon couldn't identify yet. Molly unconsciously scratched her arm underneath the sweater she worse despite the warm weather outside.

"Thank you Molly," Adler said and watched her as she left the room, "She's one of our new successes," he explained. "Six months clean and going strong."

"That's great," Jane piped in, "You must be very proud of her."

"I'm proud of all of my patients," Adler replied.

Lisbon wasn't sure what was getting Jane riled up; it wasn't the time to ask those questions. For all she knew Jane was just trying to get a read on Adler, or he was just wanting to try her patience. "Mr. Adler, we found a threatening voicemail at his home from someone named Lucy."

Adler looked up at the name, "Lucy Meyer? She's our medical director…but I can't believe that she would kill Mark."

"But she was upset with him," Jane finished.

Derek shrugged, "She and Mark were having a disagreement over a new line of treatment for our patients, but that was all it was."

"Nevertheless, we'd like to talk to her as soon as possible," Lisbon told him.

He nodded, "I'm not sure if she's here right now, I can find out if you'd like?"

"That would be very helpful," she continued, "And can you think of anyone that you believe we should talk to. Someone Mark was close to?"

Adler was silent as he thought for a moment, "Nicole, she was one of his patients, they were very close." He stood up from the desk, "Let me go see if I can find her, please wait here, I'll only be a moment."

Lisbon waited until after he left before turning to Jane, "Did you get anything from him?"

Jane smiled secretively, "Possibly."

She hated this game, "Anything you want to share."

"Not yet."

Her cell phone rang before she could get too upset with him, "Lisbon," she answered and listened as Cho gave her a run down over what Callen had learned in autopsy. "Okay…alright…that's good, thanks."

She hung up and turned to Rigsby, "Callen said the time of death was between midnight and two AM, and he was clean, no drugs in his system."

"So he must have been there for some other reason," Rigsby inferred, "but what?"

"We'll find out," she said just as Adler returned.

"I'm sorry," he told them, "Nicole is a little upset right now, she should be here in a few moments."

"We understand," Lisbon replied.

A few minutes later there was a knock on the door and Nicole walked in with eyes still a little puffy and red but she was at least somewhat put together now. She was a very pretty girl with long, black hair with a natural wave. She was short, but slender and with a very attractive figure even if she tried to hide it in behind a large shirt. "Hi," she said a little shakily, "I'm Nicole Swann."

Rigsby blinked in surprise at that name and took a step towards her. "Nikki?" he asked.

She looked at him, frowning a little. Then her large grey eyes snapped open in recognition. "Wayne? Wayne Rigsby?"

He nodded and smiled. "Oh my God," she said, now smiling too, "I can't believe it. I thought I'd never see you again."

"You two know each other," Lisbon said.

"Yeah, we were…friends," Rigsby said.

"Teenage sweethearts, actually," Jane corrected him.

Rigsby looked at him and nodded a little tightly. "Yeah, that's one way of saying it." He looked back at Nikki who had eclipsed his attention for the moment.

"What are you doing here, Wayne?" she asked.

"I work with the CBI, we're investigating Mark Spencer's murder. This is my boss Agent Lisbon and our consultant Patrick Jane," he explained. He cleared his throat before broaching the delicate subject, "So…you work here?"

"Yeah, I…I uh, went through a rough period," she said, "but I've been clean now for ten months. Mark…he got me through it." She swallowed hard and said, "I can't believe he's dead."

Rigsby put one hand on her shoulder for comfort while Lisbon nodded in understanding. "Nikki, would you mind showing us Mark's office?"

"Sure," she said, "Just follow me."

As they walked down the hallway, Jane asked, "You were very close to Mark, weren't you?"

"Yeah," she said, "He's my best friend. He brought me here, held my hand through the tough times. He's a great guy…was a great guy."

"Did Mark have any enemies?" Rigsby asked.

"No, I don't think so," she said, "Sometimes patients can be a bit unruly, but Mark could always handle them. He said that he'd been through the ups and downs, the civilized and the uncivilized of addiction so he knew how to work with patients. He could relate to their problems."

She stopped in front of a door that read _M. Spencer—Counselor_ on a plaque. "Here you go," she said and opened the door, "He always kept it unlocked so patients could come see him any time they needed him."

Mark Spencer's office was just as neat as his house. The desk was in perfect order, with the papers not even a little ruffled, the pens were even organized by color. He had a book shelf with several books on overcoming addiction and how to be a counselor, but he also had some popular mystery novels and some classic literature. Jane guessed that he read them to keep some familiarity between his patients. Spencer was clever in that, talking about drugs all the time would eventually wear thin but by acting more as a friend than a counselor his patients would be less afraid to come to him.

"Do you know if Mark had anything important he kept in here?" Lisbon asked, "A journal or a day planner?"

Nikki nodded. "That leather book is his day planner." She pointed to the book at the center of his desk.

Jane knew Lisbon was hoping that he had written something about his reason for being on fifty-ninth street in that book, but she was doomed for disappointment. Whatever had brought Mark Spencer to his place of death was something more secretive than that. He wouldn't have written it in his day planner, not when anyone could come in and look at it.

While they looked at Mark's desk, Jane looked at his book shelf. Nothing jumped out at him so he wandered over to the wall on that faced the desk. There was another painting there, but this one was different from the one at his home. There were three figures in this picture. At the center was a young girl, likely just a teenager. She was naked but not in an erotic way. The girl was being held by a dark, demonic beast that had his large hands wrapped around her middle. She reached up towards an angelic youth with pure white wings. The angel was a male with short brown hair and light blue eyes. His hand reached towards her as well, but their fingers were forever just out of reach.

Jane stared at the boy in the painting for a moment and then looked back at Rigsby who was standing beside Nikki. "This is a very good painting," Jane said, "Yours?"

Nikki looked up at him and nodded. "Yeah."

"I remembered you used draw all the time," Rigsby said, "but you wouldn't let me see any of them."

"I was more self conscious about my work then, I guess," she said with a hint of a blush on her cheek.

"Well you're very talented," Jane said, "Spencer had another painting of yours at his house, I believe."

Nikki nodded. "I gave this one to him about a month after I came here and the other one I gave him for his birthday three months ago."

"I'm curious, what inspired you to do this painting?"

Nikki swallowed again and darted her eyes to Rigsby for a brief second. "I don't know…my addiction to heroin I guess."

"Oh," Jane said. He looked at her for a while until she fidgeted and crossed her arms across her chest again to cover herself. "It's good. You should be proud."

"Thanks." She looked away from Jane and down at the floor.

"Nikki, do you know if Lucy Meyers and Mark were having an argument of some kind?" Lisbon asked her.

"I saw her storm out of his office two days ago," Nikki said, "but I don't know why."

"Can you tell us where her office is?"

Nikki nodded again. "Yeah, it's just two doors down to the left."

"Thank you," Lisbon said.

"Do you need me for anything else or can I get back to work?" Nikki asked, "I've started a therapeutic art class for the other patients and it's about to start."

"No, that's all the questions we have for you now," Lisbon told.

Rigsby smiled and touched her shoulder. "It was good to see you again, Nikki."

She smiled back at him, a genuine smile Jane noted. "Yeah, I'm glad I ran into you." She gave him a wave goodbye before walking out the door, careful to avoid looking at Jane. He had made her very uncomfortable, not exactly his intention but at least he could guess why.

"Let's go find Lucy Meyer," Lisbon said.

Lisbon knocked on the woman's door and then opened it. Lucy Meyer was typing something on her computer. She was a middle aged woman with graying brown hair and a downward turned mouth. She glared pointedly at Lisbon when she saw her. "Excuse me, but this is my private office."

"My apologies," Lisbon said and then held up her badge, "I'm Agent Lisbon, CBI, we need to talk to you about Mark Spencer."

Lucy scowled at the mention of Mark. "Oh that bastard, I'd like to kill him with my bare hands."

"Oh," Jane said with a broad smile, "That probably wasn't the best thing to say."

Lucy frowned at him. "What do you mean? Who are you people?"

"We're state agents, ma'am," Lisbon said, "And we need to talk to you about Mark Spencer's murder."

* * *

><p>Lucy Meyer's outburst at the clinic had prompted them to change their plans; they brought her to the CBI so they could talk to her in a more formal setting. Lucy looked uncomfortable in the interrogation room but mostly she just looked angry, Lisbon was beginning to wonder if the woman had room for any other emotion in her life.<p>

"Ms. Meyer," Lisbon began, "we have a recording of you threatening to kill Mark Spencer and then we found him dead."

She looked at Lisbon as if her time was being utterly wasted, "I didn't kill him if that's what you mean."

"But you threatened to."

"It wasn't a threat," She explained, "it was an expression. I was angry with him and I wanted to him to know it."

"Why were you so angry with Mark?" Jane asked, speaking for the first time during the interrogation.

Lucy turned to look at Jane, "That stubborn bastard didn't like change, he didn't think science was appropriate in our work."

"What kind of science?"

She looked a little more at peace now, perhaps anger wasn't the only emotion she was capable of after all, "There is a new drug coming out, Detoxicilin, it's only in the experimental stages but it could help relieve symptoms of withdrawal and severely diminish the strength of cravings."

"Sounds almost too good to be true," Jane replied.

She narrowed her eyes at him, "Well Mark thought the same thing. He said that drugs couldn't cure addiction, that the only true way to stop is time." She shook her head, "They just want us to use Detoxicilin for test subjects, to see if it is effective but Mark wouldn't even listen." Lucy rolled her eyes, "The board was going to side with him _of course_, I've only been at the clinic for two years so Mark carried more weight. It doesn't matter that this drug could double our success rate, whatever Mark said goes!"

Jane just kept right on smiling as she ranted, "And of course the company was going to give you a nice settlement for marketing the drug."

Lucy tensed up, "It wasn't about the money…"

"Of course not."

"It wasn't!" she insisted, "this drug could help so many people, but Mark didn't want to change with the times."

"With Mark dead and out of the way," Lisbon pointed out, "it should make it a lot easier for you to get the backing you need."

She turned to look at Lisbon, "That isn't what I meant, I didn't kill Mark."

"Then where were you last night between midnight and two AM?"

"I was at home asleep."

Lisbon noted the thin alibi, "Can anybody verify it?"

"No," Lucy admitted. She became defensive again, "I didn't kill him, I wanted him to back off but I didn't want him dead." She looked around jittery, "Can I go now?"

Lisbon was about to let her but Jane jumped in, "One last question, would you categorize any of your patients at the clinic as unstable?"

"Excuse me?"

Jane shrugged, "You know former addicts, one wrong move and they might go off."

She gave him a withering look, "That's a generalization that is completely unfounded…and no, none of the patients at the clinic are like that."

He just smiled, "And former patients?"

"No, none."

Jane nodded but was still keeping that secretive look on his face, "Fair enough, you can go."

Lucy gave Jane one last angry glare before storming out of the room. Lisbon turned to him with an unhappy expression of her own, "What the hell was that?"

"I was just following a theory."

"That includes acting like an ass?"

Jane shrugged, "She already thought I was one to begin with, why disappoint her?"

Lisbon just gave him an exasperated look, "Fine, don't tell me what you are doing. I probably don't want to know anyways."

Yes it was just like old times, for better or worse.

* * *

><p>An hour later Lisbon was eager for a cup of coffee to pep her up; she was still pouring it into her mug when Jane walked into the break room. She tensed up immediately; she wasn't keen on talking to him, not after his display in the interrogation room. But that was only part of it; she was also still trying to avoid talking to him about Tyler.<p>

Still she was aware of his eyes on her though, she refused to turn and meet his gaze. It was in the midst of the uncomfortable silence that her phone vibrated once on the counter. Another text from David, impatient for the day to be over she presumed. Maybe he just instinctively knew she needed a distraction.

"And how are things with your boyfriend?"

She jumped and turned around to see Jane smiling at her, damn him for being so good at reading people. How the hell did he know with her back turned? "I don't know what you are talking about Jane," she lied badly before taking her mug and leaving the room quickly.

Jane smiled at her anger and went about making his tea. Lisbon was still upset with him, not just about the case. She knew how he worked and expected his secrets, but it was amusing to watch her try and act professional. But he could tell how nervous she was around him and he knew how often she glanced his way.

But her new boyfriend, that was something that was bothering him. He didn't like knowing so little about someone that was obviously very close to his son. Lisbon was a fair judge of character but he still wanted to know.

Grace walked into the break room, hesitating a little in the doorway when she saw him but still walked over to the fridge to retrieve a bottle of water. She was still nervous around him, but her anger wasn't nearly as passionate as Lisbon's. "We've known each other for years Grace, you needn't be nervous around me."

She smiled a little at him and took another sip of water, well it was a start, "You and Lisbon have grown very close since I was away," Jane said, easing into the conversation.

She nodded, "Yeah," she was suspicious of his motives.

"I'm just curious," he assured her, "You must know a lot about what happened to her since I left, and she of you."

Grace leveled her gaze with him; "I'm not going to tell you anything else about Tyler, that's Lisbon's decision to make."

"I understand," Jane told her, "I wouldn't want to break your woman's code." Her eyes softened at his little joke so he knew he was making headway, "But what about this new boyfriend of hers, can I know about him?"

She looked up stunned, "You know about David?"

So that was his name, Jane smiled, "I just want to know about the man who is close to Tyler."

Now was the decision point, Grace had to choose between her desire to boast about her friend's triumph and her wish not to get involved. Jane knew exactly when he got what he wanted. "He's a doctor," Grace told him with relish.

Jane cocked his head, "Oh?"

"A surgeon," she emphasized the last word.

"Even better," he grinned, "I assume they met on a case."

"We needed a consult about a case involving stolen organs and he was referred to us," she explained, "the sparks flew as soon as they met."

This was quite amusing; Grace was expressing her protective nature of her friend by bragging about Lisbon's boyfriend. Even more incredible, she was doing so to make him jealous. It wouldn't work, this David bothered him but he wasn't going to stoop as low as envy.

Jane shrugged, "Sounds like Lisbon made quite a coup."

"She did," Grace agreed, "He's great, just wonderful with Tyler, a good father figure."

That cut too deep and judging by the embarrassed look on her face she knew it. Jane straightened up, no longer amused by the conversation. "Thank you Grace," he told her before stepping out with his tea.

That remark had stung him for than he wanted to admit. But Jane also knew he was partly to blame; he'd wanted to know about David, he hadn't been guaranteed an answer he would like. On thing was for sure, things were much more complicated than he had thought.

* * *

><p>Along with the victim's many stacks of files they had brought back Mark Spencer's hard drive to the CBI so that they could see if anything useful was on his computer. The computer techs in Forensics had been able to retrieve his e-mails and deleted files and Cho had been given the unlucky task of sifting through them all.<p>

Through the junk files, the deleted memos and many irrelevant work e-mails he finally hit pay dirt. "Boss," Cho said and Lisbon looked up from her own small stack of paperwork, "I've got something for you."

She stood up and walked over to his desk, "What is it?"

"An e-mail he sent to Nicole Swann," Cho explained.

Rigsby looked up at the mention of her name. "What's it say?"

"Nicole," Lisbon read, "I don't want to hurt you, but you must understand that I don't feel that way for you. This isn't how I wanted to really discuss this so if we could please meet I will explain why a relationship would be a bad idea."

She looked back up at Cho and asked, "When was this sent?"

"Two months ago," he said, "I couldn't find a reply."

"Alright, we should probably talk to her and see what she knows."

Rigsby stood up immediately from his chair. "I'll go, boss. She knows me so maybe she'll be more willing to talk."

He had a good point, but Lisbon also knew that his history with her could be a hindrance as well as an advantage. She couldn't let Rigsby go alone. "Jane," she said, "Go with him."

"You're actually willing to let me out of your sight," Jane noted, "I'm shocked, Lisbon."

"I trust Rigsby to keep you out of trouble," she replied. Lisbon locked eyes with Rigsby. "If he does anything stupid, call me."

"Got it, boss."

Before they left the squad room, Jane said, "Oh ye of little faith." Lisbon set her jaw and refused to take the bait. This was just Jane being Jane.

The only change to the Elpis Rehabilitation Center was now there was a sign with Mark Spencer's picture on it. The sign memorialized him and suggested that the counselors were all waiting to talk to anyone if they needed to express their grief. Jane found the whole thing rather amusing. Why would putting a large picture of the dead memorialize them to begin with?

That thin, blonde woman from before, Molly was her name, walked past them. "Excuse me," Rigsby said to grab her attention.

"Yes?" she asked, unable to meet their eyes.

"Can you tell us where Nikki…I mean Nicole Swann is?"

"Yeah, just down the hall, to the left."

"Thanks," Rigsby said.

Jane grinned as Rigsby straightened his tie and then ran a hand through his short brown hair. "You shouldn't be nervous, Rigsby, you look fine."

"I'm not nervous."

"You're trying to impress your old girlfriend, it's alright to admit it."

"I am not," he insisted just as they round the corner.

The door was open and they could see into a large sunny room. There were easels set up with enough space for Nikki to walk between her students and admire their work. Jane watched as Rigsby took her in all over again and noticed the slight hitch in his breath.

"That's very good, Sarah," Nikki said to one of her patients, "But try thinking beyond just the foreground. If you focus on your background it will make your focal point pop out even more."

She went over to another student and gave him a warm smile. "Don't be so shy, Brian, go on and express yourself."

Jane nudged Rigsby in the ribs. "Not bad advice."

"Shut up," he whispered back just as Nikki noticed her visitors. She smiled when she saw Rigsby. She unconsciously tucked a lock of black hair behind her ear and straightened out her shirt. Apparently Rigsby wasn't the only one aiming to impress.

"Wayne, how nice to see you again so soon." Only then did she notice Jane and he saw the disappointment flicker in her grey eyes. "I guess this isn't a social call."

"Sorry, Nikki," Rigsby apologized, "But we have to ask you a few more questions."

"Um, okay." She walked out of the room and shut the door so they could have privacy. "What is this about?"

"Um, we found an e-mail Mark sent you," Rigsby said, "it suggested that maybe you had tried to start a relationship with him but he turned you down."

"Oh that," she said, "What do you want to know?"

"Did you ask him out?"

"Yes," she admitted, "and yes he turned me down."

"Did you take that badly?" Jane asked since Rigsby was taking too long to form that question.

"At first, but Mark made me see that I was confused about what I was feeling," she explained. Her words were obviously directed to Rigsby, to get him to understand. "He was just so good to me and he pulled me out of a bad place that I thought a relationship with him was a good idea. But he was right, I only wanted that because I could trust him. I knew he would never hurt me."

"So you weren't having problems with the victim?" Rigsby confirmed.

"No," Nikki said with a shake of her head, "He suggested that I start teaching an art class and that helped me sort out my feelings. We were on great terms."

"That's good, that's really…good," Risgby said. He smiled at her and she smiled back. They were so busy looking at each other that Jane got the suspicion that if he walked away neither one would notice. Of course Lisbon would kill him if he did that and he had some things of his own that he wanted to ask her.

"Nikki, how did you meet Mark?" Jane asked.

She blinked in surprise at his question. "Um, we met at the hospital. A friend of mine overdosed and I took her there…but I was too late." Clearly she was an emotional girl because her eyes went glassy and blinked to clear the moisture away. She recovered quickly enough to continue. "One of the nurses knew Mark and called him to talk to me. I had been wanting to stop, but that's easier said than done. Mark told me about his own battle with heroin and convinced me to come here."

"And a month later you painted that picture in his office," Jane said, "The one with the demon and the girl."

Nikki crossed her arms across body, as if to conceal her self, and nodded down at the floor.

"You said it was about addiction, right?"

"That's right." She was a bit paler now and she swallowed hard.

"What exactly made you start doing drugs?" Jane asked. He didn't expect a straight answer nor did he get one.

"I just when through a bad patch." She looked back at Rigsby and said, "Um I really have to get back to class, so if that's all?"

Rigsby nodded, "Yeah, that's all." He opened his mouth to say something else. Jane guessed that he wanted to either apologize for his colleagues strange questions or to ask if he could call his sometime. Obviously it was the latter since he lost his courage and said, "Bye Nikki."

"Good bye, Wayne," she said. She gave him one last look before she opened the door and retreated back to her students.

Rigsby shook his head at his own cowardice and furiously began walking away. Jane kept up with him. "You don't have to be so upset," Jane said, "you can go back and ask for her number. I'm sure she'd appreciate it."

"Shut up, I wasn't going to do that."

Jane grinned in amusement. "You shouldn't lie to me, Rigsby. I read minds, remember?"

Rigsby chose to make a point of trying to ignore him, but after a few paces he couldn't pretend any longer. "Why'd you ask her all of that?" he asked Jane.

"Just testing a theory," he said, "I was trying to see what she was hiding."

Rigsby stopped in the middle of the hallway. "Whoa wait a minute, you think she's hiding something?"

"Well it was obvious," Jane said.

"Something about this case?"

"I'm not sure yet. It could have nothing to do with Mark Spencer." Jane shrugged. "Rigsby, everyone has secrets, I wouldn't worry about it."

But Jane knew he would. Rigsby would wonder about it all the way back to HQ. He would question what he knew about her. If Rigsby cared about her, then he wouldn't doubt that she was innocent. As they got back into the car, Jane studied his face and decided that Rigsby didn't think she killed Mark. That meant he did care about her, that they had a more interesting history than he had let on.

"How did you meet Nikki?" Jane asked after several long minutes of silence.

"Huh?" Rigsby asked at first. He had been lost in thought so it took a moment for the question to register. "Oh, well you know my mom died when I was little. After my dad went to prison I was sent into foster care. We were in the same foster house. I was sixteen and Nikki was fifteen, well we just hit it off right away."

"How did she get in the foster system?"

"Um, well her mother was a prostitute," Rigsby said, "and she was killed by one of her johns when Nikki was eleven. She never knew who her father was so they put her in the system."

"Hmm, that must have been difficult for her."

"Yeah, I guess so."

Now that he was being forthright, Jane knew it was time to ask the question he had intended all along. "What happened between you two?"

Rigsby stared at the road for a while, traveling down memory lane if Jane had to guess. He finally shook his head. "I don't really know. We were doing fine, going on strong for about a year, and then she suddenly pushed me away. She said she didn't want to be together anymore. A week later she ran away. I never thought I'd see her again."

"Serendipitous that you met now," Jane said.

"I didn't really think of it like that."

Jane grinned again. Rigsby really was a terrible liar. Sure he could bluff to a suspect, but when it concerned his heart he always wore it on his sleeve like a badge of honor.

"Have you told Grace about Nikki?" Jane asked.

"There's nothing to talk about."

"You don't think she'd be a little jealous that you're considering asking your ex-girlfriend on a date?"

"Grace and I haven't been together in over five years," Rigsby reminded him. It was important to note that he didn't deny his intentions.

"Still, you helped her after what happened with O'Laughlin," Jane said. Rigsby remained silent in response, but Jane knew he was right. "Rigsby, I would really like to know what happened."

He let out a sigh and shook his head. "Look, that IA investigation took a hit on all of us, but Grace…they tore her apart. She already felt guilty about getting engaged to a psychopath and they used that. They made her think that she should have known, that she _had_ to have known."

Rigsby's knuckles whitened as he clenched the steering wheel. Who was he picturing, Jane had to wonder. Someone had angered him into a nearly violent reaction. At least Jane knew it wasn't himself, otherwise Rigsby wouldn't be speaking to him at all.

"It took three years of therapy before she finally acknowledged that it wasn't her fault," Rigsby said.

Jane nodded. "So that's why you're angry with me. If I hadn't killed Red John then Grace wouldn't have been raked over the coals."

He didn't deny it. Rigsby took in a deep breath and let it out. "Look, I understand why you did it and I admit, I think the bastard had it coming. But it's going to take some time, Jane."

Jane nodded again and said, "Thank you for being honest, Rigsby. I really appreciate it."

Rigsby didn't say anything else, but Jane knew that there wasn't much else left to say. It was better to spend the rest of their journey back to HQ in silence.

* * *

><p>When Rigsby and Jane got back to HQ Jane was pleasantly surprised that Lisbon called him into her office. He wasn't foolish enough to think she'd finally decided to talk, not when she'd done everything she could to avoid him, but this would allow him another opportunity.<p>

"What did you find out about Nikki?" she asked him quietly. Obviously she was aware that Rigsby would be sensitive to any talk about his ex girlfriend.

"She didn't deny the email but said that things between her and Mark were fine, he helped her sort through her feelings." Jane explained but before Lisbon could accept the answer he continued, "But she's hiding something."

That perked Lisbon up, "You think it's something to do with the case?"

Jane shook his head, "I'm not sure yet, let me get back to you on that one."

She clearly didn't like that idea, "Stop playing these games, is she or is she not a suspect?"

He smiled at her, "Would it really matter what I said?"

Lisbon gave him an annoyed look but answered honestly, "No."

"Then why ask it?"

She glared at him one more time, "Fine." Lisbon turned back to her paperwork clearly intending for the conversation to be over but Jane was having none of it. He continued to sit and watch her. She looked up at him, "You can go now."

But he didn't leave and from the tension in her movements he could tell she knew what was coming, "We need to talk about Tyler."

Lisbon heard what he said but hesitated for a moment. Then she stood up from her desk and made to leave, "I don't want to talk about this right now."

Jane stood up him self and grabbed her arm before she could leave the office, stopping her in her tracks, "You can't avoid this Lisbon."

There was fear in her eyes, but that was outweighed by anger and determination, "I'm in the middle of a case Jane. I'm not going to discuss my personal life while I'm on the job." She pulled her arm away from him and exited her office.

Lisbon didn't stop until she entered the squad room; the only safe place from having an unpleasant conversation with Jane was with the team. Cho was busy on his phone talking to someone but Rigsby and Van Pelt were still looking over the files they'd taken from Spencer's home and office.

"Anything?" She asked standing next to Van Pelt's desk.

Grace shook her head, "Not yet, but we still have a lot of paperwork to get through."

Lisbon nodded, "Give me a stack and I'll help." Anything to continue to avoid Jane.

After a few minutes Cho hung up the phone, "Boss, that was a guy from the SACPD, he said he remembers getting a call last week about a man fighting with a known drug dealer. When they got there the drug dealer ran off but he said the guy he was fighting with was our victim."

"Does this drug dealer have a name?"

"Dezmon Thomas," Cho explained, "He works 59th street and they told me where we would most likely find him."

Lisbon nodded, "Take Rigsby, bring him in."

* * *

><p>Fifty Ninth Street, aptly named Drug Alley by law enforcement, was quieter in the light of day but the wicked were still willing to do business if the price was right. Cho and Rigsby parked the car down the street from where Dezmon Thomas normally did business; they didn't want to scare him off too soon.<p>

"So what's with this Nikki girl?" Cho asked out of the blue.

Rigsby blanched a little at the question before replying a bit too quickly, "Nothing."

Cho wasn't about to let that one slide, "Jane said she was your ex-girlfriend."

It was no surprise to Rigsby that Jane would say something like that but little more. Cho was sniffing for information and unfortunately when it came to personal life, Rigsby tended to unwillingly be a fountain of information. "She is…sort of."

"You going to ask her out?"

"I don't know yet," Rigsby answered honestly and remembered that he had another ex-girlfriend that was even closer to the team at the moment. The last thing he wanted to do was to hurt Grace, he cared about her too much for that. "Did he say anything to Van Pelt?"

"Yeah," Cho told him.

Rigsby tensed up, "What'd she say?" he was almost afraid of the answer.

"That she was still in love with you."

That surprised him, "Really?" he asked with shock…and a little hope.

"No," Cho replied in his usual monotone voice. He noticed the hint of disappointment on his partner's face, "It's been five years man; you need a new girlfriend."

Normally Rigsby would have shot back another comment at his friend but he caught sight of the very man they were looking for. "Is that him?"

It most certainly was, if his dark brown skin, ratty hat and baggy clothes didn't have him stand out it was blinged out gold teeth that really set him apart. "Oh yeah, that's him," Cho said and check his side arm before quickening his step.

He was in the middle of a sly deal with a Hispanic kid when Cho called out, "Dezmon Thomas!"

Thomas took one look at Rigsby and Cho and quickly deduced that they were not there to buy a bag. Quick as he could he pulled out a gun from the waistband of his jeans and fired a couple of wild shots at them.

They took cover behind a nearby vehicle while Thomas peeked around from the doorway he was standing in. He fired at their direction but missed badly. Rigsby's aim was closer; he hit the doorway just by Thomas' head. In the effort to avoid being out shot by the agents Thomas ducked into the building.

"He's running!" Rigsby yelled.

"Go after him!" Cho called back to his partner, "I'll go around back." He was already heading around the building and down the alley to the small lot behind the building filled with dumpsters and trash. He waited by the back door, his gun drawn and ready.

Cho didn't have to wait long.

Thomas came bounding out of the building where Cho immediately grabbed him. Before he even knew what was happening, he was thrown out up against the wall. Rigsby came up a couple of steps later, breathing heavily.

"Dezmon Thomas, you're under arrest," Cho told him.

"For what man!"

"For being an idiot," he slapped the cuffs on him and escorted him to the car.

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It wasn't the first time Dezmon had seen the inside of an interrogation, in fact he looked almost comfortable as he slouched in the chair and gave Cho a bored look. "Look man, I don't know why you brought me in here, I ain't done nothing wrong."

Cho just gave him a stone cold look and ignored the man's terrible use of grammar, "Then why did you shoot at us."

"I didn't know you was cops."

Cho nodded, "I'm sure the judge will like that excuse."

Dezmon shook his head and threw up his hands, "Look man, I don't know nothing."

He pulled out a picture of Mark Spencer and pushed it across the table, "Do you know him?"

"Shit," Thomas replied, "Is that why I'm in here. This Jack talk to you or something."

"No, he's dead."

"For real?"

Cho gave him a stern glare, "Yes for real, gunned down right about where you work and where you got into a fight with him last week."

"I didn't kill him," Dezmon told him simply.

"Then where you around midnight last night?"

Dezmon smiled, "You kidding me right?" Then he started laughing, "Couple of your boys picked me up. I was in the joint all night, didn't get out till this morning."

If Cho was surprised or disappointed by that answer he didn't show it, "Why did you get into a fight with him last week?"

"Aw man, that Jack just came up to me and starting yelling all up in my grill," Dezmon explained, "He wanted to know which one of my boys was dealing for some girl at that hospital or wherever he came from."

"You're saying a woman from the clinic was buying drugs from you?"

"Yeah."

Cho leveled his gaze with him, "Give me a name."

He shrugged, "I don't know it man, like I said it was one of my boys." He turned back to look at Cho, "So we good?"

"Yeah, we're good," Cho replied and stood up from the table, "you're being booked for assault on an officer."

"Come on man that ain't right."

Cho just ignored him and left the room.

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Thirty minutes later Rigsby was hanging up the phone with a look of dismay, "Dezmon Thomas was booked in county last night for a drunk and disorderly."

"So he couldn't have shot Spencer," Lisbon finished.

"But he was dealing to someone in the clinic," Cho explained, "and Spencer knew about it. He might have gone there to confront her."

"Explains why he was on 59th street," Van Pelt agreed.

"But we don't have a name," Lisbon pointed out. She was quiet for a moment as she mulled over that problem.

Van Pelt looked up at Lisbon, "Maybe we do." She held up a piece of stationary with handwriting on it, "These are letters that Spencer had in his office, they're from Nicole."

Lisbon walked over and picked up one of them, "Mark, please believe me that these feelings aren't shallow. You have not just touched my heart but you have changed my soul." She raised her eyebrows as she read more, "These are pretty passionate, and she said it was nothing." Then she turned to Jane who was sitting on his couch. "You said you thought Nikki was hiding something."

"Yes, she is," Jane said.

Rigsby looked up, "No, Nikki wouldn't do this."

Lisbon gave him a sympathetic but stern look, "I know she's your friend Rigsby…"

"I'm telling you Nikki couldn't have done it."

"And _I'm_ telling _you_ that I'm not going to ignore a suspect just because you like her," Lisbon warned him, "She's had a problem with drugs before, she knew the victim and she's hiding something…give me one good reason why I shouldn't bring her in." When Rigsby didn't respond she turned away from him, "Cho, bring Nikki in."

Rigsby was quiet for a long while before finally saying, "I want to be in there with her."

"Absolutely not."

"I know her," He reminded Lisbon.

"Which is exactly why you shouldn't be in there."

Lisbon thought the conversation was done but Jane stood up from the couch, "Lisbon, can I see you for a second."

She raised an eyebrow at the request but she knew it was about the case so she followed him to her office, "I have an idea," he told her.

"Words I never like to hear from you."

He smiled at the comment but let it slide, "Nikki trusts Rigsby, if she's hiding something about the case then she'll open up if he's there."

"You think she's going to confess to murder in front of Rigsby?" Lisbon asked doubtfully.

"Nikki didn't kill Mark," Jane told her calmly.

"You said she was hiding something!"

"She is."

"Then what is it?"

Jane smiled knowingly, "Bring her into interrogation, I'll observe her and I'm certain I can figure out what it is.

* * *

><p>Nikki sat in the suspect's chair of the interrogation room, fumbling with her fingers in a nervous habit. Jane watched her from the observation area and noticed her short nails, unpolished and slightly paint speckled. She bit her nails, probably a childhood habit that she never kicked.<p>

"Nikki, when Agent Rigsby asked you about that e-mail Mark sent you, you said that it was nothing," Lisbon said.

She nodded. "I asked Mark out, but he said no. I understood and that was the end of it."

"Sounds simple," Lisbon said, "But your feelings weren't, were they?"

Lisbon produced the letters and placed them on the table in front of Nikki. She looked at her words for a moment and then back up at Lisbon. "Where did you get these?"

"We found them in Mark's office," Lisbon said, "Hidden in a filing cabinet. After we found that e-mail we took a second look. Would you care to explain these?"

Nikki nodded. "During the beginning of my sobriety I was very emotional. I was so grateful for Mark that I started thinking I was in love with him." She made a point of looking at Rigsby when she said, "But I wasn't. I was just confused, Mark knew that. He said I needed to stop thinking of him as my savior and just as my friend."

"These letters are pretty powerful," Lisbon said, "Are you sure these feelings just went away?"

"I thought about it and I realized that he was right. Once I accepted that I was trying to give myself a different kind of addiction, I let it go. Working with the other patients helped me to see the difference between what I was feeling and what I was fantasizing."

"Nikki, maybe it wasn't like that," Lisbon said. She was going for the gentle approach instead of the tough cop one. "Maybe they kept growing and Mark just didn't feel that way for you. He said so in the e-mail and maybe that upset you. Did you ask him out again and he said no?"

"No," Nikki said, "Just the once."

"I'm not so sure. Maybe you did ask him again. He said no and it hurt you. You loved him so much and he was rejecting you. You wanted him so badly but he didn't want you. It's understandable that you would be angry."

"No."

"And it hurt so much so you needed the drugs. Mark followed you and tried to stop you, but you were so angry and so hurt that you shot him. Is that what happened?"

"No!" Nikki shouted, "No, I didn't kill him! I wouldn't." She looked up at Rigsby with pleading eyes. "Wayne, you can't think I did this. I wouldn't. I would never do something that this."

"We have a dealer who says one of his friends was selling to a woman at the clinic," Lisbon said, "Is that you?"

"No, I'm clean." She pulled up the longs sleeves of her baggy shirt to show her that her arms were empty of any fresh track marks. "See, I'm not using again."

"But you are hiding something," Lisbon said, "Tell us what you don't want us to know, Nikki." Nikki shut her eyes and shook her head. "You're only hurting yourself by keeping us in the dark."

Jane knew Lisbon wasn't going to get to the bottom of this, not this way. She wasn't trying to hide the truth from the CBI, but from one individual.

He left the observation room and knocked on the door that led to interrogation before he opened it a crack. "Lisbon, can I talk to you for a minute."

Lisbon looked irritated as she left her chair and walked over to Jane. He made her exit the room and then shut the door so they had privacy. "What?" she asked.

"You need to get Rigsby out of there."

"You're kidding me," she said, "You said she would open up if he was in there."

"I know for sure what she's hiding now," he explained, "I can get her to talk, but Rigsby shouldn't be in there. She doesn't want him to know."

"Know what?" Lisbon asked, "What is she hiding?"

"She'll tell you," he promised, "but only if Rigsby isn't in there."

Lisbon let out a sigh and stared at him for a moment. "Are you sure?"

"Have you ever doubted me?" he asked then after a moment he added, "Don't answer that, just trust me on this."

"Fine," she gave in and opened the door again. "Rigsby, would you leave her with Jane and me for a moment?"

Rigsby looked up in surprise. "But you said I could stay."

"I know, but now I'm asking you to leave." She said it in her no-nonsense-boss voice, which told Rigsby that there was no room for argument. He gave Nikki an apologetic look, but left his chair.

"Thank you," Lisbon said as he passed her by.

Jane smiled at Nikki when he walked in. "Hello, Nikki."

"Hi," she mumbled back.

"I wanted to ask you a couple of things," he said as he took his seat. She looked at him like she wished she were having surgery by a deranged doctor rather than answering more questions. "Where were you born?"

Nikki blinked at him in surprise. "What?"

"Go on, answer it."

"Um, in Los Angeles," she said.

"And your mother worked as a prostitute, correct?"

Nikki nodded. "She was killed when I was eleven."

"How did you meet Agent Rigsby?"

Lisbon frowned at him. "Jane?" she said in a threatening voice.

He ignored her. "Come on, it's alright."

Nikki took in a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. "I met Wayne when I was fifteen. He had just been put in the foster system and we were living in the same foster home."

"And how long were the two of you in a relationship?"

"About a year," she said.

Jane let out a whistle. "That's a long time for teenagers. You must have really cared about him."

Nikki smiled to herself and nodded. "Yeah, Wayne was great. He was so sweet and he was always there. He was always willing to help anyone, no matter how old they were. Some of the kids would pick on one another but he always stood up and helped the others, especially those that couldn't defend themselves."

Jane nodded. "That sounds like Rigsby."

"Yeah, I really liked him…a lot."

"It was more than that," Jane said, "You thought you were in love with him, didn't you?" Nikki hesitated for a moment but then nodded in agreement. "How far did your relationship progress?"

"What do you mean?"

"Did you ever sleep with him?"

"No," Nikki said. She stopped playing with her fingers and crossed her arms over her chest.

"But you thought about it," Jane said, "You drew pictures, little fantasies about you and him as lovers."

Lisbon shook her head at this and then whispered, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Just trust me," he whispered back, "I know what I'm doing." He looked back at Nikki, "Isn't that true?"

Nikki bit her lower lip but nodded. "Yes, I thought about it. I loved him and I wanted him to be my first."

"But he wasn't."

Tears filled Nikki's grey eyes and she shook her head. "No," she said, her voice cracking over the word.

Jane looked over at Lisbon and he saw that she understood where this was going. There was a haunted look in her eyes and she shifted uncomfortably in her chair. The answer was very clear to both of them now.

"Nikki, I know you don't want to share this with us," Jane said in a gentle voice, "I know you are racked with guilt and pain which is why you turned to drugs for support. But keeping it in is only going to fuel that addiction again. Letting it out, admitting it, will set you free."

Nikki was shaking from unreleased sobs. She wiped at her cheeks that were wet from her tears. "Tommy," she finally said, "Tommy Whitlow."

"Who was that?"

"My foster father," she said, "He found my art book and he looked at my drawings."

"Did he take them away?"

Nikki shook her head. "No, he gave them back."

"But that isn't all he did."

She bowed her head and sobbed out, "No."

"What happened, Nikki, what did he do to you?"

Nikki was crying now and wiping at her face with her sleeves. It took her a few minutes to gather herself back together and answer him. "He picked me up from school, I had stayed because I had an art club meeting. But he didn't drive me home."

"Where did he take you?"

"Some remote place outside of town," she said, "I—I wanted to go home, b-but he said he wanted to talk."

"Did you talk?"

"At first but then…but then he…" she started to cry again but she took in some deep breaths and continued, "He started touching me. I-I fought him but he was too…he was too strong."

Nikki gazed up at Jane with red-rimmed eyes filled with fresh tears. "He raped me."

Those three words made her break down. She put her arms on the table and put her face down there. Jane and Lisbon let her cry for a few moments until her sobs had quieted a little.

"You didn't want Rigsby to know that, did you?" Jane asked.

"No," she said, "I was so ashamed. Tommy kept saying that I was like my mother, that I was a whore. That those pictures proved it."

"And that's why you broke it off with Rigsby."

"I thought he deserved someone better, someone who wasn't a whore." She wiped her cheeks again and pushed her hair back. "Tommy came into my room a week later and raped me again. I ran away after that."

Jane nodded. "That picture in Mark's office isn't about addiction. It's about your rape. The girl is you and the demon possessing her is Tommy. But the angel is Rigsby, isn't it? The one good thing you always wanted but would never be able to have."

Nikki nodded. "I told Mark what happened. He suggested that I express my emotions somehow so I did that painting." She swallowed back another wave of tears before saying, "I would never kill Mark."

"I know that," Jane said, "and I know you still feel guilty for what happened to you. But you should know that it wasn't your fault. This Tommy Whitlow saw those pictures as an excuse to exert his own fantasies over you, but that doesn't make it right. You are not a whore, Nikki."

Nikki was shaking again and she couldn't hold the tears back anymore. She buried her face back in then circle of her arms and sobbed again. Jane looked back at Lisbon and she nodded her consent. They both stood up from the table, but she went over to lay a hand on Nikki's quivering shoulder while Jane left the room.

Jane went back to the observation room where Rigsby now stood. He had one hand on the mirrored glass and his entire focus on the crying girl in the other room. "You alright?" Jane asked him.

"No," he admitted. Rigsby kept looking at Nikki. Jane knew he wanted to go down there, but now Rigsby was the one with the guilt. "I should have done something."

"You didn't know," Jane reminded him.

"I should have."

"It's easy to say that," Jane said, "But how can you stop something you can't predict?"

Rigsby just shook his head; there wasn't much anyone could do to convince him at a time like this. Guilt was an easy thing to feel but ever harder to relinquish.

* * *

><p>Jane, Lisbon and Rigsby returned to the squad room quietly and in a somber mood. Van Pelt looked up from her desk expectantly, "How did it go?"<p>

Lisbon shook her head, "She didn't kill him."

"But she was hiding something," Cho reminded her.

"Yeah," she replied, "but it wasn't about the case." The look on her face warned both of them to not ask any more questions about Nikki.

They were quiet for a moment as they all considered what this meant. They were no closer to finding Mark Spencer's killer now and they had little evidence to go on either. Lisbon sighed, "Look we know a woman at the clinic was buying drugs and that was why Spencer was out there."

"The only other woman who had a problem with Spencer was Lucy Meyers," Cho pointed out, "she has an alibi but it's weak."

Lisbon nodded but it just didn't feel right to her. Meyers wanted Spencer's backing so that they could launch a new pharmaceutical program in the clinic…it just didn't make sense for why she would be buying drugs. She didn't have a background as a user and would have no need for them herself.

She felt Jane's eyes on her and she knew he was figuring out her thoughts, if only she could read his. "What do you think Jane?" she asked, a clear sign of her desperation.

He considered the question for just a moment, "I think we need to go back to the clinic," he declared, "That is where our killer is."

"Alright," Lisbon replied, "But _who_ is it?"

Jane just smiled, "All in good time."

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The Elpis Rehabilitation Center was falling into something of a lull, the few people that remained were mostly staff either burning the midnight oil or willing to take the night shift for any midnight callers seeking help. Derek Adler certainly wasn't expecting any visitors to his office that night as he openly gaped in shock as the CBI team filed into his office along with Lucy Meyers and Molly.

"I'm so sorry Mr. Adler," Molly explained, "but they insisted they come in."

"It's alright Molly," Adler replied but he looked uncomfortable and never took his eyes off Jane, "I assume this is about Mark."

"Yes it is," Lisbon said simply, keeping her face a perfect mask of professionalism.

"Have you found his killer?"

"Not yet," she admitted.

"But you will be happy to know that we know where the killer is," Jane cut in with a sly grin. Lisbon glared at him but he ignored her as usual.

Adler stood up, "Where?"

"In this clinic," Jane explained, "In fact, maybe in this very room."

Derek laughed uncomfortably, "You don't honestly believe someone here shot Mark?"

"That is where the evidence is leading us," Lisbon admitted firmly.

Jane kept his gaze on Adler, "Someone at the clinic has been purchasing drugs from a local dealer, Mark found out about it, that is why he was shot." He turned his sights to Lucy Meyers, "And we know it was a woman."

Lucy held up her hands and looked around in shock when she saw suspicion in their eyes, "What? No, I've never bought drugs in my life."

"We know it was a woman," Jane reminded her, "and you were certainly angry at Mark."

"Yeah," Adler piped in, "He wouldn't let you follow through with your plans for the new treatment program."

"But I don't do drugs," Meyers exclaimed, "I wouldn't even know _how_ to purchase them!" She looked around frantically, "I didn't kill Mark! I swear! I didn't kill him!"

"Ah perhaps you simply lured him there so that we would think it was a drug deal gone bad."

"No, I couldn't…"

The confrontation was interrupted by a loud banging on the office door. Everyone whirled around to look at the closed door. The banging continued even louder this time, Rigsby was the one who finally opened it.

Nikki barged into the room immediately and the wild look in her eyes had them all bracing for an explosion.

"Nicole, what are you doing here?" Adler asked dumbly.

"Which one of you did it?" she demanded sharply, "I want to know, which one of you killed Mark?"

"Nikki," Rigsby began, "what are you…"

"Be quiet Wayne," she hissed and kept her eyes on the three none CBI personnel in the room, "One of you killed Mark and I want to know who!" The three of them looked at one another dumb founded for a long while. Nikki glowered at them menacingly, "Fine…I'll get you to talk myself," and then she pulled out a gun.

"Whoa!" Jane yelled out and immediately threw up his hands while Lisbon and the rest of her team all reached for their own weapons.

"Don't do it," Nikki warned them, "don't pull them out or I swear I will start shooting."

The gun was shaking in her hands which is why the agents complied with her orders reluctantly. "Nikki," Lisbon said evenly, "This isn't the way to do this. Could you please put down the gun."

"Not until I get an answer," Nikki declared. She pointed the weapon at Lucy, "You! You hated Mark, did you do it?"

"No I didn't," Lucy told her quickly, "I swear to God I had nothing to do with his death."

She looked at her suspiciously, "You're lying."

"I'm not!" Lucy replied, "I didn't do it."

Nikki glared at her and then fired one shot at the ceiling as a warning. Lucy and Molly both let out shrieks and then Lucy cried, "Nicole, I swear, I didn't kill him!"

"Well if you didn't," Nikki eyed the other two clinic workers, "Then who did?"

Molly began to cry noisily, "Derek please…"

"Shut up Molly," Adler said sharply.

"No Molly," Jane cut in, his eyes focused intently on her, "Please continue." She turned her eyes that were wet with tears to him hopefully. He continued, "You were the one that was buying the drugs weren't you?"

"I…I…don't," she stammered out.

"No one wears a sweater when it is eighty-five degrees outside," Jane told her knowingly, "not unless they have something to hide.

Jane kept his gaze steady and she crumbled like a house of cards, "I tried to stay clean but I...it was just too hard…"

"So _you_ killed Mark?" Nikki shouted.

"No," Jane said calmly but kept on looking at Molly, "the drugs were for you…but it wasn't your money was it?" He then turned his full attention to Adler.

"You shot Mark?" Nikki shouted at him.

Derek shook his head, "No it wasn't me."

"Of course it was you, you disgusting worm," Jane explained fully, "She's a lovely woman that was vulnerable and desperate, it was an opportunity that you just couldn't pass up."

"No…" Derek said, "It's not true."

"Tell me, did you offer to pay for her drugs in exchange for sex or was it your affair with her that made her start using again?" Jane asked but didn't wait long for an answer, "Either way you had to keep paying for them to keep her quiet. That didn't sit well with Mark, all that work he put into this place to help other's get clean, and here you were using it to satisfy your perverted desires."

Molly burst into tears again and Derek was having enough of it, "Be quiet!" He was getting anxious, like a caged animal…like a guilty man.

"He confronted you that night," Jane continued, "you were buying more drugs for Molly." He turned to look at the woman in question, "Were you with him?" Her answer was to let out another sob.

Jane turned back to Adler, "You brought the gun for protection, after all it's a dangerous street…but when he showed up you panicked. By the way where is the gun?"

Adler shook his head desperately, "He's insane!" He shouted and looked to Lisbon, "You're letting him say these crazy things?"

She shook her head, "Jane says a lot of crazy stuff… funny thing is he's usually he's right."

"Where is the gun?" Jane repeated.

"It's in his truck!" Molly blurted out, "He put it in the glove compartment after he shot Mark!"

"You stupid little bitch," Derek hissed and made to attack the woman but Cho was quick to pull him away.

"Well there you have it," Jane said and turned to Lisbon with a grin. He looked towards Nikki, "And you, bravo, very nicely done."

Nikki lowered the gun slowly and smiled back at him, "You were right, it was easy."

Adler looked from one to the other franticly, "It was a ruse?"

Lisbon stepped forward with her handcuffs ready, "Her gun was fake but mine isn't. Turn around. You're under arrest for the murder of Mark Spencer."

* * *

><p>Adler was brought to the CBI and taken in for booking. Lisbon watched from the squad room with mixed feelings on the whole matter. She felt rather then heard Jane come up behind her. "One case," she said aloud, "one case and I'm already back to letting you up to your antics."<p>

Jane shrugged, "We caught a killer…and now Molly will be able to get the help she needs."

She sighed heavily, "Things were supposed to be different now."

He turned to look her in the eye, "Aren't they?"

Lisbon shook her head slowly, "Not enough." She didn't say anything else, never looked back at him. Instead she walked back to her office alone.

Jane considered what she said as he settled down on his couch once more, he would wait a little bit longer to talk to her about Tyler. But not much. He was looking at the crossword puzzle in the newspaper so he didn't see when Nikki walked up to the squad room.

She stopped in front of Van Pelt's desk and asked, "Excuse me, but where can I find Patrick Jane?"

"Oh, he's right over there," Grace pointed to his couch. Jane knew what she was here for and since he was trapped, he had no choice but to stand up and accept her gratitude.

"Hi," she said when she reached him, "Uh, I just wanted to thank you."

"No need," he said, "We were doing our job."

"But you still found Mark's killer."

"You played a part in that, don't forget your role in our scheme," he reminded her.

Nikki grinned. "Yeah, that was kind of weird. I didn't think cops actually did that sort of thing."

Jane smiled. "They don't. I do."

"Oh," she chuckled a little, "Well you're very good at what you do." She looked down for a minute but he knew she wasn't going to leave. Not yet. "I also wanted to thank you for what you said earlier. You were right. I needed to talk about what happened."

Jane nodded. "You've been through hell, Nikki, and as someone who's been there as well I've learned that trying to do it alone is unproductive."

"Yeah, well I want to put it all behind me, to start over."

"That's good," he said, "Stay strong, Nikki. You'll be alright."

"I'm going to try," she promised him and then gave him a nod to say goodbye. She walked out of the squad room, but she barely made it down the hall when she ran into another gentleman on Lisbon's team.

"Nikki," Rigsby said when she saw her, "Hey."

"Hey," she said back, "Um, is Derek in jail?"

"Yeah, we've already booked him."

"Good."

He laughed a little. "You were pretty good at acting crazy."

She couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, well, I'm not sure if an acting career is in my future. I think I'll stick to art."

He nodded. "I wanted to talk to you about something." Rigsby took her arm and gently led her to the side of the hallway by a wooden bench. "It's about Tommy Whitlow."

Nikki's grey eyes widened in shock and then her cheeks bloomed pink. "Oh my God," she said and put both hands to her cheeks. "You…you know."

"Yeah, I was in the observation room." She sat down on the bench and covered her face with her hands. Rigsby sat down next to her and put a hand on her shoulder, "Nikki," he said.

"You heard everything?" she asked, "about the pictures and my plans and everything?"

"Yeah."

She let out a groan. "Oh God, this is so embarrassing."

"Nikki, it's okay. You don't have to be embarrassed." Rigsby took in a deep breath and then let it out slowly. "I wanted it too."

She peeked at him through her fingers. "You did?"

"Yes," he said, "I…I really did love you and I wanted to be with you. God, you have no idea how much it hurt when you pushed me away."

"I'm so sorry, Wayne."

"I understand now…but I wish you would have told me what happened."

Nikki nodded solemnly. "I was afraid. I thought that you wouldn't want to be with me anymore."

"Nikki, that never would have changed how I felt about you." Rigsby looked down at his hands and then balled them up into fists. "If I had known I would have pounded his face into the ground."

"That's another thing," she said and put one of her hands on his fists, "I hate to think what Tommy might have done to you."

"But Nikki—."

"No, he might have killed you, Wayne. I might have suffered, but I never would have forgiven myself if anything happened to you."

Rigsby uncurled his fist and patted her hand. "Well I'm glad you're okay now. And I wanted to talk to you about Tommy. I looked him up."

Nikki gasped and shook her head. "No, don't do anything stupid."

"I looked him up in our criminal index," he explained, "Tommy was arrested for raping another girl four years after you left. Another girl came forward too, she was assaulted before he met you."

"Oh," she said.

"Yeah, he's still in prison so you don't have to worry about him. But I wanted you to know that you weren't alone."

She nodded. "Well I'm glad he got what he deserved." Nikki's lips curved into a sad smile. "I'm glad I ran into you again. I've always wondered what happened to you, if things had turned out better for you. You're such a great guy and I always hoped that you had found your place in life."

Rigsby smiled at her. "I've wondered about you too."

They looked at each other for several moments, not speaking a word, just reflecting on their brief but mostly happy time together. It was Nikki who broke the moment and stood up from the bench. "I guess I should go. It was really nice to see you again."

She only got a few steps before Rigsby called out, "Nikki." She turned around and looked back at him. Suddenly he was seventeen again and fumbling with his own thoughts. "Uh, can I give you a ride home?"

"I drove here."

Of course she had. "_Idiot_," he thought to himself. "Right," he said.

Nikki's face broke out into a brilliant smile and she walked back to him. "But I'm free tomorrow for dinner."

She still knew him, even after having been apart for what seemed like an eternity. It put him back on solid ground. "That's great," Rigsby said, "How about eight?"

"Sure, let me give you my number." She pulled out a pen and ripped a piece of paper from a notebook in her purse. Once she had written it down, she gave him the paper. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow," he agreed.

She just grinned at him for a moment and then stood on her tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Bye, Wayne."

"Bye," he said. She was still smiling when she turned around to head for the elevator. Rigsby watched her and waved back when she did after she had stepped onboard. He didn't leave the hallway until she was fully out of sight.

He was still grinning to himself when he walked back to the squad room, almost running to Grace. "Sorry," he said.

Grace didn't say anything in reply, just quietly went back to her desk. It was Jane who spoke up. "I take it she agreed?"

Rigsby narrowed his eyes but didn't stop smiling. "Shut up," he said. Jane just grinned and went back to his puzzle. Only Grace stared at her computer screen, wishing she could feel as jovial about the situation.

She couldn't.

* * *

><p>The case was over but there was still an hour or so of time to kill before Lisbon could call it quits. Just enough time to get one more cup of coffee and finish up some more paperwork. She had her cup in hand and was headed out the door when Jane seemed to appear out of no where. Had he been waiting for her?<p>

Lisbon stepped aside to go around him, but Jane stepped in front of her. She stepped back but he just followed suit, still blocking her exit. "I will throw this," Lisbon warned and held up her steaming mug as a warning.

Jane surprised her again by taking hold of her wrist with one hand and then prying the cup loose with his other and putting it on the table. "We're going to talk," he said.

She had seen Jane serious before. Usually he was still somewhat goofy, cracking a joke even if he was talking about an important subject. Only occasionally was he serious to the full sense of the word: no jokes, no grins, just austerity.

This was one of those times.

But Lisbon wasn't startled by this. She had faced down serial rapists, vicious murders and psychopaths. Patrick Jane was a walk in the park compared to them, even when he was dead serious.

"I have work to do," she said. She tried to push past him but Jane wouldn't budge. He even braced an arm against the door frame so she couldn't find a way out.

"I'm tired of these games, Lisbon," Jane said.

His words ticked her off. The maestro of irritation didn't want to play around any more. That was rich.

"Oh my God," she said, "Hell has frozen over, Patrick Jane is tired of mind games."

Jane wasn't amused, for once. "Are you finished?"

"No," she said, "Where do you get off telling me this? All you do is play games."

"Well this isn't a game to me."

"That's a first," she said.

Jane was still calm but there was no trace of humor in his blue-green eyes. "You can't keep avoiding this, Lisbon, we have to talk about Tyler."

"There is nothing to talk about," she insisted, "You being out of prison doesn't change anything."

"I want to be involved in his life."

"No."

That one word actually did it. She saw that brief spark of anger flash in his eyes. Seeing Jane serious was rare enough, but actually mad? That was nearly unheard of. He always kept himself in check, always stayed detached. Only Red John had ever managed to get beneath that iron skin of his. Now she could too.

"You can't do that, Lisbon," he said in a remarkably cool voice.

"The hell I can't."

"I am his father. I do have rights."

So it had come to that. An actually threat to push for his parental rights. Maybe he didn't mean it. Jane was Jane, who knew what he ever intended. But it was enough to crack that lid on her emotions. She had kept the full force of her wrath under control, but now it bubbled up to the surface.

Lisbon glared at Jane. She grabbed his arm in a near bruising vise and tugged him out of the public break room. "What are you doing?" he asked.

She didn't answer him. Lisbon just steered him down the hall, past the squad room and her office until she found a place she thought was private enough. Jane apparently didn't see that.

"Lisbon this is the men's room," he pointed out.

"Shut up!" she shouted once the door was closed, "You really want to go there, Jane? You really want to have a full out battle between custody terms and parental rights? Is that what you want?"

"Of course not," he said, "I wanted us to talk about this rationally but you've been avoiding me all day."

"Fine," Lisbon said, "Let's talk. You want to see Tyler, I say no way in hell."

"Lisbon I understand that I hurt you," Jane said in a tight voice, "But this isn't right. You shouldn't keep my son away from me for petty revenge."

Lisbon gaped at him for a second. "Revenge? You think this all about revenge? You think I'm that shallow, that I would actually deny my son his father simply because I'm angry with you? I am mad, Jane, you're right about that, but that has nothing to do with Tyler."

"Then I would love to hear your real reason."

He wasn't buying it. The bastard still thought she just wanted to keep him apart from Tyler out of spite. Well if he wanted the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, then so help him God.

"I saw your house," she said. She was surprised by the even way it came out. The words sat between them, filling the air with their power. Jane was silent for once. He knew what house she spoke of.

"Your _empty_ house," she continued, "No furniture, electricity, nothing except for one pathetic mattress and a rather interesting painting on the wall."

The memory of the red-brown smiling face drawn with the blood of his wife and daughter flashed through her mind. She was certain he could see it too.

"I was _horrified_ Jane," she explained, "it made me _sick_ to see just how twisted your mind was…and I was _pregnant_. Pregnant with your child and I…I didn't know who I'd let into my life.

"What kind of a person does that?" she asked him, not really seeking an answer, "That's not obsession, Jane, that's _insanity_. I thought I knew you, but I realized then that this," she gestured to himself from head to toe, "is a mask. I don't really know you at all. I never knew you."

Those emotions she had felt then as she walked through the echoing halls of his house came flooding back. Lisbon felt those same tears threatening again. But she wouldn't cry, not in front of him. Instead she focused on her anger. That kept her tears at bay.

"We were just pawns to you, weren't we?" she asked, "You used us to get what you wanted: Red John. I don't know even know if you can function without him. Maybe you need him as much as he needed you."

"Lisbon," he spoke for the first time since her long tirade. But she wasn't done yet.

"How can I trust my son with you? I don't even really know you. So no, Jane, this isn't about revenge. This is about making sure my son lives a happy, normal life. I'm not sure if you can give him that.

"I'll work with you, Jane, because that is what you wanted. I'll be your boss again, I'll even let you do your tricks to wrap up cases. But I'm not going to give you Tyler. You've ruined my life enough, I'm not about to let you screw with his."

Lisbon took turned around to step back towards the door, but that fury was still there. She felt compelled to add one more point. She looked back at him, still standing there as still as a cemetery statue.

"I wish to hell that the day you walked into my life, I had said no."

With that now forever dangling in space, Lisbon pulled open the door and left Jane alone with her words.

* * *

><p>"And then I told him that I wish I had never worked with him."<p>

After she had left Jane alone in the men's room, Lisbon had gone home and found her mind racing over what had been said. She wound up dialing Grace's number and telling her everything that had occurred.

Grace stared at Lisbon for a moment and then shook her head. "Ouch."

Lisbon put down her bottle of beer on the coffee table and covered her face with her hands. "I know, that was too harsh. I shouldn't have said that."

"Way too harsh," Grace agreed, "Why would you even say that to begin with?"

"Because I was so angry with him. He still doesn't get it and I…wanted him to understand just what he had done to me."

Grace nodded and then took a sip of her beer. "Well you certainly did that."

Lisbon sighed and picked her beer up again. "Should I have just kept my mouth shut and not said anything?"

"No, he needs to know just how far he's fallen in your eyes, though lying about wishing you hadn't worked with him was probably taking it too far."

"Why does he need to know?"

Grace frowned a little. "Don't you want him to prove himself again?"

"I don't know if he can."

"Are you saying you don't think you could ever trust him again?"

Lisbon stared at her bottle and then sighed. "I don't know. When I saw that house…I saw a side of Jane I never wanted to admit to seeing. It frightened me, Grace."

"But you don't think he really was just using us, right?"

Lisbon looked up at her. "It's possible, but I like to think that maybe we became more than that, at least I hope so." She took another healthy swallow of alcohol and then set the bottle down again. "The point is that I can't let Jane into Tyler's life until I know he's changed, until I'm certain he can actually be a father."

"You've seen Jane with kids before though," Grace reminded her, "He could be a father."

"The job entails more than being kind and being a good playmate. I have to be sure that he won't hurt Tyler."

Grace seemed stunned by her words. "But I don't think Jane would ever hurt his son."

"No, not physically and not intentionally," Lisbon agreed, "my greatest fear is that I'll let him in but then something else comes along. Maybe something else will take his attention, some new obsession. Maybe not tomorrow, maybe several years from now, but then he could push Tyler away. I couldn't bear to see my son's heartbreak, to see him wonder why he wasn't good enough for his father."

She had been there. She had watched her own father drink himself into oblivion, as he ignored her pleas to stop so he could drown in his own sorrows. Neither her nor his sons were enough to keep him from ending it all. As his mother, it was her duty to make sure Tyler never understood that pain.

"You understand, right?" she asked Grace.

Grace tapped the bottle with her fingernail in thought for several moments. "I understand," she said, "and I agree. You have to be sure that Jane is fully committed to this before sharing Tyler with him."

Lisbon sighed in relief but it was short lived. "But you have to make sure that this is about Tyler and not about you."

"What?" Lisbon asked.

Grace put down her bottle and leaned towards her intently. "You're walking a fine line, Teresa. You have to be certain that this is about protecting Tyler and not about protecting yourself. You said that what happened with Jane was just a one night thing, but maybe it wasn't, not entirely. This has to be about keeping Tyler from heartache and not about your own."

It was a lot to say and not very easy to hear. But it was true. She had told Grace about the night Tyler was conceived…but never the moments before. She had kept the occasional blush, the strange feelings, the odd sensations she couldn't explain, all of that she had kept to herself. It had hurt for more than one reason when Jane had abandoned them to seek his revenge. But this couldn't be about herself, it had to be about Tyler.

"You're right," Lisbon admitted, "but it's not about me. I just want Tyler to be happy."

"Then you're doing the right thing. But remember, he does need a father and Jane seems willing for the job."

"I know, but not until he's ready."

Grace nodded. "He is still a good guy though."

Lisbon smiled a little. "Yeah, I know that."

"And don't forget, if it hadn't have been for him you never would have had Tyler."

She nodded a little. "Yeah, Tyler's the best gift he ever gave me." Lisbon gave her a full smile now and grabbed her beer again. "But the pony was good too."

Grace laughed with her at the memory of her birthday years ago. Yes, Jane had his moments and not every memory of him was coupled with a bad one. Once the laughter had faded, the somberness returned. "He can do it," Grace said, "He can prove to you that he can be a father."

Lisbon stared at a picture hanging on the wall. It was when Tyler was born and she was holding him for the first time. It was grouped by other pictures of him as he grew, from when he was crawling on his hands and knees to when he was toddling about in his diaper and nothing else. Moments Jane had missed.

"I hope so," Lisbon said.

She really did.

* * *

><p>AN: Wow Lisbon was pretty harsh...but she makes some good points. Jane has a lot of ground to make up for after what he did...and he STILL doesn't know everything she went through. But that's all for another chapter *hint hint*

Next chapter: A doctor goes missing and the team must try and find him before some LA thugs get to him first. Lisbon and Jane are still dealing with the after affects of their argument in the Men's room. And Lisbon's boyfriend David gets involved with the case and he and Jane meet for the first time face to face. That should be an interesting confrontation so you might want to stick around.

Please read and review, the more reviews we get the faster our fingers type.


	4. He that is Not Jealous is Not in Love

Disclaimer: We own nothing, but I do claim credit for Rhonda hahaha

A/N Nerwen Aldarion: *peeks in* Sorry about the wait guys, school has been a beast and this chapter is our longest one yet so that all adds up to a lot of time writing LOL but it is finally here! I really did like this chapter, we're finally able to tell a little bit more with Jane's perspective. Now that he knows how far he has fallen in the eyes of the team, he can begin trying to heal those wounds. It will take a while, but now things will get better with him. But there are a few things he has to figure out first...

A/N Tinuviel Undomiel: Yeah, I think this chapter is my favorite so far because we really get to see more of Jane and how he feels. The last chapter was about him testing the waters, now he knows just how much he has to do. Oh, and just a note for those who've seen the Season 4 premiere (how awesome was that by the way?) in this story, the gun and the cellphone were there so everyone, including Jane, thinks Red John is dead. Welcome to the world of AU's, I always loved them. Now, on with the show folks.

* * *

><p>Chapter 4: He that is Not Jealous is Not in Love<p>

_ The mall was crowded as people milled from one shop to the next, some stopping to look in a window, others continued on with a single destination in mind. The coffee shop on the bottom floor was crowded as well with one waitress desperately trying to keep up with demand._

_ Lisbon's gaze was focused on Jane as he spoke to the otherwise average looking man with a newspaper and a chilling gaze. She knew him as soon as she saw him, the killer she had been hunting for years._

_ Red John._

_ And Jane was speaking to him…but she couldn't hear him._

_ Jane had always told her what he would do if he ever came face to face with Red John. He had told her as calmly as someone would give a report on the weather outside. He would kill Red John, slowly, the same way his family had died._

_ Now he was there talking to him._

_ She had to stop him, had to intervene._

_ Lisbon walked towards the coffee shop, trying to remain inconspicuous, trying to catch Jane's attention. He wouldn't do anything with her there; he knew that she would stop him._

_ But the closer she moved towards him the harder it became to move, as if the floor was made of sticky tar. Then she couldn't walk any further. She couldn't move her feet, couldn't take just one more step._

_ Red John stood up to leave but Jane stood up from the table too. She still couldn't hear him but she knew that Jane wasn't letting him leave. They continued to speak, a heavy discussion from the looks of it. Why couldn't she move? She had to get closer…had to stop this._

_ Then Jane looked numb…as if he was starting to lose it and Red John began to walk away again._

_ "Jane!" she shouted. He had to know she was there, had to let her handle this. It was her job. He was her responsibility. "Jane!" she shouted again._

_ Yet no one heard. Dozens and dozens of people around and no one heard her shouting._

_ Jane spoke again…she couldn't hear but Red John did. He stopped and turned around as Jane walked towards him._

_ "Jane!" Lisbon pleaded, "Don't do it…don't do it!"_

_ But he continued to walk towards him._

_ "Stop!"_

_ For a long moment there was nothing but silence as he stared face to face with Red John. Teresa watched for what seemed like eternity. "Please Patrick," she begged, "don't…"_

_ Three loud gunshots broke the silence._

_ "No!"_

Lisbon woke up with a start, breathing heavily and sticky with sweat and something else…tears. She brushed the tears away from her cheeks and swung her legs over the side of the bed. It was a little early to get up but there was no going back to sleep after that.

She made her way down the small hallway towards the kitchen, tripping over Tyler's toy car along the way. She would have to make sure he picked up his toys later or her home would begin to look like a bull ran through a Toys R Us.

Coffee would help, coffee always helped make her feel better. Just the rich smell of it was enough to calm her down. She poured the water into the machine, filled the filter with the dark grounds and set it on to brew, waiting patiently as the dark liquid dripped into the pot. Finally she could curl up with a steaming mug and look out the window to the dark street below.

The drink was soothing her but her thoughts were still troubled by the dream she'd had. It wasn't the first time she'd had that particular dream and probably wouldn't be the last. There had been a time when she would wake up almost every night to the sound of those three gunshots. Eventually the time between dreams became longer and longer…it had been a while since she'd had to stand and watch Jane kill Red John again. Maybe that's why she felt so shaken right now, she hadn't been prepared for it.

A shrink would probably say she was subconsciously still holding on to the guilt that she hadn't been there to stop him. But Lisbon believed that maybe she just wanted a reminder of the man she was dealing with and the damage he had caused.

She took a deep breath and released it slowly; nowadays any thought about Jane automatically made her think back to their conversation in the men's room a week ago. 'Conversation' was a poor choice of words, it had been a hatchet job on him and her words were the weapon. She couldn't forget his face just before she'd left; he had stood as still and cold as stone, stunned by her words. She'd hurt him; she knew that, she had cut him to the bone. But she'd spoken only the truth…except for the last part, it was wrong of her to say that.

Now things were awkward between them, even worse then before. He didn't smile around her, hadn't for days. It was unsettling; Jane always wore a smile even if it was meant to hide his feelings. He was upset. She needed to fix this, needed to make it right.

She had to apologize, but that was easier said then done. And how much should she apologize for? She had to apologize for lying about wishing she'd never worked with him that was obvious. But should she say she was sorry for the other things…even if they were true?

Lisbon mulled over these thoughts for a long time when her cell phone rang, "Lisbon," she answered.

"Agent Lisbon," a male voice said, "We have a missing persons out here in Elverta that we could use some help with."

"Alright," she said, "We'll be there as soon as we can."

She took another deep breath and let it out; a case was always a good way to get her mind off her troubles.

The timing couldn't have been better.

* * *

><p>The sun had risen by the time she drove up the street towards the home of Dr. James Young. The rest of the team had beaten her there from the looks of their familiar cars parked along the street. Not much of a surprise since she'd had to wait for Natalie to show up before leaving Tyler still sleeping in his bed.<p>

It was a nice townhouse; the first month's rent would probably cost her half a year's salary. She remembered that this area had been on her long list of possibilities when she had been searching for a bigger place after she'd gotten pregnant. But she'd scratched this neighborhood off the list quickly, not affordable and certainly not child friendly.

A uniform ushered her inside where her team was gathered around the living room and the reason for the call was quite obvious. A large red pool of blood had seeped into the off-white carpet; there were several footprints that tracked the blood further around the room. "What can you tell me?" Lisbon asked and stood as far away from Jane as she could. It was pretty easy since he was doing the same.

"Maid came in to clean like she does every Tuesday," Rigsby explained, "she walked in and found this. She's in the kitchen with the first responder now."

She studied the blood on the floor, "There aren't any drag marks," she pointed out, "so he walked out of here."

"With that amount of blood he'll need medical attention or he'll bleed to death," Cho said, "if he isn't dead already."

It was a cold truth but still the truth. "We'll call the surrounding hospitals when we get to HQ," Lisbon decided.

"Ask them about gunshot wounds," Jane piped in.

She turned to look at him, "You think he was shot?" Normally he would have smiled knowingly but this time he simply gestured to the white tan easy chair near him. She leaned in close to the arm of it and saw what he had noticed. Little grey flecks of powder sprinkled in a blowback pattern, "Gunshot residue." She said straightening up. Lisbon looked up at him and met his eyes for the first time that day but they both quickly moved away from one another.

"What do we know about Doctor Young?" Lisbon asked, trying to keep herself from glancing at Jane.

"He's forty-three, divorced, and works at Mercy General," Cho rattled off.

She nodded. "Alright, look around see if you can find anything that might explain why someone would want to hurt him. I'm going to talk to the maid, see what she knows." Lisbon turned towards the kitchen; she didn't say anything when Jane followed her, she was just grateful that their personal problems didn't mean he wouldn't do his job.

The maid was in the kitchen and from the looks of it was still in an excited state of shock. She was speaking Spanish rapidly and constantly crossing herself, a prayer for her employer no doubt. "Ma'am," Lisbon said with a loud but calm voice, "I need to talk to you about what happened here."

Lisbon glanced over at Jane but he wasn't looking at her, he was looking at the small calendar on the wall, apparently September meant a picture of Mary holding an infant Jesus. Then he turned his attention to some papers on the counter.

"Rosa," The woman replied, "My name is Rosa Flores." Rosa's English was very good but careful, as if years of being misunderstood made her overcompensate.

"Rosa," Lisbon repeated politely, "Please tell me what happened when you came in this morning."

"I told the other officer," Rosa explained, "I came in to clean, I do this every Tuesday and Thursday. But today…there was so much blood…" she started muttering another prayer and crossed herself once again.

"Did Dr. Young have any enemies?" Jane asked, stepping in like he always did.

Rosa shook her head, "I do not know, he…he never say anything to me."

But Jane saw something in her response, Lisbon could tell from the way he studied Rosa's face, the way he took a step closer to her to make the conversation more personal between them. "But there was something. Something that happened…something that stood out to you that made you think he might be in danger."

The woman was silent for a long time as she just looked back at Jane; she began to look more at ease, more secure. That was Jane; he knew how to work people. "Last week I came to clean and these men were at the door. I would not let them in, they frightened me." She shook her head, "I told Dr. Young, he say not to let anyone in. He looked afraid."

"What do you remember about these men?"

"There were three," she explained, "One was a _gringo_, the other two were Latino. They looked dangerous."

"Do you know where they were from?" Lisbon asked.

Rosa shook her head, "No, they come to the door and I told them that Dr. Young was not here, then they leave."

Jane just nodded, "This is good, very good Rosa. You've been a big help to us." With one more smile he left the room.

Lisbon looked back at Rosa, "We'll contact you if we have any more questions," she assured her.

"You will find Dr. Young yes?"

It was a promise Lisbon knew never to give, so she stuck to the safest answer, "We'll do our best."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Cho and Rigsby met outside after they had finished canvassing the scene. Nothing new. The local cops would send over their report later. Van Pelt was busy talking to Lisbon about what she'd gleaned from the neighbors and Jane was being Jane: nosy.

"So how'd your date go with Nikki?" Cho asked him.

"Good," Rigsby replied, "We're going out again Saturday."

"Maybe you won't die alone after all."

Rigsby just grinned and gave Cho a friendly punch in the arm. "She's great, really. I think this might actually go somewhere."

"Don't jinx yourself, man."

"Yeah right," Rigsby said, "Well we'll see how this goes. I mean she's been through a lot so I want to take it slow."

"That's good," Cho said, "You're probably out of practice anyways."

"That's below the belt, man."

"And true."

Rigsby was about to retaliate but Grace walked over to them just then. He still wasn't ready to share his budding relationship with her yet, not until he was certain it was going somewhere. Instead he asked, "How are things between Mr. and Mrs. Awkward-And-Uncomfortable?"

"Still awkward and uncomfortable," she said.

Rigsby shook his head and snuck a peak at Lisbon and Jane. A barge could have fit in the space between them. "What the hell happened that got them that way to begin with?"

"She and Jane had a fight," Grace said.

"About Tyler?" Cho guessed.

"About everything. She said some stuff she probably shouldn't have, but you know how stubborn they are. Neither one is willing to talk about it yet."

"What did she say?" Rigsby asked with avid interest.

Grace shook her head. "I can't tell you." At their probing eyes she shrugged. "She told me in confidence."

"I don't get you women," Rigsby complained, "You tell each other your secrets but you can't tell anyone else."

"It was personal."

"You told us when she was pregnant," Rigsby said.

"That was different," Van Pelt argued, "You guys had to know and I was freaked out. Lisbon wouldn't want me to tell you guys this."

"Cough it up," Cho said.

"No."

"Come on," Rigsby said, "We're family and family doesn't keep secrets."

"I think Jane would disagree," Van Pelt pointed out.

"I would?"

All three of them whirled around to see Jane standing not far away. The guilt of their conversation was painfully etched on their faces. "Uh, hey Jane," Rigsby said.

Jane just grinned at them for a moment and then said, "Eleanor Roosevelt once said 'Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events and small minds discuss people.' What does that tell you?"

"That she never met you two," Cho replied.

Jane smiled broadly at his clever reply. Lisbon walked up to them, clearly unaware of her gossiping team members. "Jane and I will go to hospital to talk the co-workers. You guys head back to HQ and see what you can dig up about Young."

"Got it boss," Rigsby said.

Jane gave them one last grin before he followed Lisbon to her car. Rigsby waited until they were both out of earshot before he said, "Raise your hand if you think Jane is going to make us pay for this later."

Three hands went high in the air.

* * *

><p>Gossiping might have been a juvenile form of recreation but the fact was that Rigsby, Cho and Van Pelt were completely right. Things were awkward between Jane and Lisbon and he wasn't inclined to fix it yet.<p>

At the heart of the matter was the unrelenting guilt that welled up every time he thought about their conversation in the men's room…and that was the only thing he could think about for about a week now.

The only good thing was that now he knew just how much ground he had to cover in order to earn back her trust.

True the awkwardness wasn't only coming from him. Lisbon was also doing her best to avoid speaking to him. She doubted herself and everything she had told him. He wished she wouldn't. The only thing more painful than the truth was bad lies trying to cover it up afterwards.

They were still silent when they entered Mercy General but Jane noticed that Lisbon was looking increasingly nervous and agitated once they walked through the doors. Almost immediately she began discreetly scanning the area, looking for something, or someone no doubt.

That was right, the infamous David was a doctor. Well, this must be his hospital. Jane couldn't help but smile. Oh yes, this would be fun. "Looking for someone?"

Lisbon blushed lightly but tried to cover up that she'd been caught. "No."

She knew she'd been caught, the exaggerated innocence in her voice confirmed that, "David works here doesn't he?" She blushed even fiercer this time. It was adorable really, which is why he pressed on, "Are you hoping to run into him?"

"No," Lisbon replied firmly.

"You're telling the truth," he said and considered that fact for a moment, "You don't want me to meet him do you?"

"No, I don't."

He stopped and looked her in the eye, "Why not?"

"Because it's too early in the morning for him to deal with you."

Well at least they were back to sarcastic comments; it was a start. "I promise that I would be the soul of charm."

Lisbon shook her head quickly, "It's weird Jane," she explained, "he's my boyfriend and you're…" she hesitated as she tried to put a name to it, "I don't know _what _you are."

It was an honest answer and in many ways the complete truth, but this was just too easy. "Former lover," he suggested. Lisbon gave him an irritated look so he added, "Father of your child." She shook her head and began to walk away, "What? It is the truth."

But he smiled as he hurried to catch up; sometimes an angry Lisbon was the true one.

She kept walking until she found a nurse nearby, "Excuse me, can you tell me where the Chief Resident is?"

"He should be in his office," The nurse replied pleasantly, "Down the hall and to the left, you can't miss it."

"Alright, thanks," Lisbon replied and was ready to head that way immediately. That is until she noticed that Jane wasn't following her. "Are you coming?"

Jane shook his head, "I think I'll stay here."

She didn't think about it for long. "Suit yourself."

He smiled and watched her walk away, when she was down the hallway he turned his attention to the nurse's station that sat prominently in the middle of the room that forked into several hallways. Several nurses were there with folders and files, they were also chatting amiably.

He might have given the team flak for gossip but sometimes it was a real asset in an investigation.

Jane strolled up to the desk with a wide grin, "Good morning ladies."

A buxom African-American nurse with a nametag that read 'Rhonda' gave him a big smile. He could tell right away that she was the bold outgoing type; yes she would definitely be a well of information. "Hello, are you one of our patients?"

He shook his head with a smile, "No."

"You want to be one of mine?"

Yes she was definitely bold and outgoing, and not very subtle either. Jane chuckled, "I'm actually not a big fan of hospitals."

"Honey, nobody is."

Jane laughed again at her honest response, "Actually my name is Patrick Jane and I work with the CBI."

"CBI," one of the other nurses at the desk said, "Weren't they the ones that arrested Sandra?"

"Yes," Jane replied, "we were."

"Hmmm," Rhonda looked down sadly, "I could have told her, you never kill your husband. You make him _wish_ he was dead."

He smiled at her humor, "We're trying to find one of the doctors that work here. Dr. James Young."

"Oh, you mean Slim Jim?" Rhonda began, "Has he gotten himself into trouble now?"

"Does that surprise you?"

"Yes sir, he's a sweetheart, a bit of a weakling for my taste, but still a good man," Rhonda explained.

Jane nodded, "Do you know anyone who might want to harm Dr. Young?"

"Sure do, his wife…well _ex_-wife." She turned to one of her fellow nurses, "Hey Betty, you remember the name of Slim Jim's wife?"

"Ummm I think it was Monica," Betty replied glancing up from the folder in front of her.

"Yeah that's right," Rhonda nodded happily.

"Good," Jane said, "Now why do you think she'd want to harm him?"

"Oh that woman," Rhonda shook her head, "Mmm she cleaned that man _out_! Not that I can blame her really, when I caught my last husband with my cousin, I kicked him to the curb myself."

"So he was having an affair?"

"Sure was, one of the pretty little interns that came through here last year, Candace was her name," Rhonda continued, "But she's long gone now, transferred to Arizona after the mess."

"But his wife is still angry."

"Oh yes," Betty interjected, "She came here last month and was screaming at him, something about money he owed her."

Rhonda snorted loudly, "Don't see why, she already took everything he had."

"Interesting," Jane said, more to himself then anything. He thought about it for a moment before turning back to Rhonda, "Has Dr. Young been acting strange or doing anything unusual around here?"

She shrugged. "Not that I know of."

"Actually," Betty said sitting up, "He's been hanging out with Ralph a lot."

"Who is Ralph?"

"Oh he works downstairs in the basement," Rhonda explained, "You know where they keep the bodies?"

That was unexpected. "Why would a surgeon be working in the morgue?"

"I don't know sugar," she replied, "Maybe he was looking for ideas on what to do with his wife." Betty and Rhonda laughed at her joke for a minute before she looked back to Jane, "You need anything else, honey?"

He should say yes and walk away but it was just too tempting and Jane was a man starved for information. "One of your surgeons worked as a consultant for our team," he explained, "they wanted to send him a thank you. What was his name…David…?"

Rhonda's eyes lit up, "Oh you mean Hot Buns?"

Jane's eyebrows shot straight up to his hairline. Hot Buns? Sometimes the good things in life just came to you. It stood to reason that Lisbon had no idea about this nickname; oh he could have some fun with this.

"Yes," Jane said with a smile, "What's his last name?"

"Bennett," Betty told him.

"Mmhmm," Rhonda cut in, "And if you see him tell him that he owes us a bottle of wine."

Jane smiled, "I will."

It was perfect timing as Lisbon walked up right then with a frustrated expression on her face. "The Chief Resident couldn't tell me anything," she explained, "we'll head back to HQ, see if the team's had any progress."

"Alright," Jane said but flashed a charming grin at the two nurses, "It was lovely talking to you ladies."

Rhonda smiled back broadly, "You come back any time now handsome."

Jane chuckled as he walked away and Lisbon gave him an irritated look, "Did you have fun?"

"Yes," He told her honestly, "Dr. Young had a very messy divorce and his ex-wife was still out for blood."

Lisbon stopped in her tracks, surprised by his statement, "How do you know this?"

Jane grinned, "In a hospital, the nurses know everything. Oh by the way, your boyfriend's nickname is Hot Buns."

Lisbon blinked in surprise. "What?"

Jane smiled. "Rhonda, she's a real peach."

* * *

><p>Lisbon was surprised by her exchange with Jane at the hospital. The ride back to HQ had still been mostly quiet, but much of the tension had been gone. For a little while they had managed to…well not forget what had happened but at the very least push past it. That needed to be permanent or they wouldn't be able to continue working together.<p>

She left her office and went into the squad room. Her team was at work, going through Young's life with a fine toothed comb. Jane was being himself, sitting on his couch with a cup of tea. He always found this part of the job tedious.

"What have we got on the ex-wife?" she asked.

"She lives in River Song," Van Pelt said, "it's a gated in subdivision. According to her housekeeper, she isn't home right now. She's at her country club for tennis practice and then lunch."

"Okay, you and Rigsby head over there and talk to her. Cho, you keep digging. If anything interesting pops up, you let me know."

"Got it, boss," he said.

Rigsby and Van Pelt took their sidearms and then left their desks. Lisbon almost followed them to return to her office alone, but stopped short. If she didn't act now then this temporary peace with Jane was going to collapse.

"Jane?" she said almost hesitantly, "Can I speak to you for a moment."

"Sure," he said and put down his teacup. She went to her office first, letting him follow her. She took a guess that he had already deduced what she wanted to say. This was Jane. Her hunch was confirmed when he shut the door behind them to give them some privacy.

"I know things haven't been good between us since our…" She stopped for the right words. Talk wasn't accurate, fight might have been an understatement. Was there even a term to label what had occurred in the men's room?

"Spectacular display of emotion?" Jane offered. His lips were turned up a little when he said it so he was finding this amusing.

"Fine," she said. That was as good a name as any. "And I don't know if this can fix everything, but I do owe you an apology. When I said I wished I hadn't worked with you, I was lying. And I'm sorry for that."

He didn't look smug at her confession. She thought maybe he wanted more from her, but he then said, "I know."

Of course he knew. Jane knew all of her tells. Perhaps she should offer more. Though true, the rest of what she had said had been overly harsh. She didn't blame him for everything that had happened. And though she wasn't sure if she could trust him with her son, she knew he would do everything he could to solve crimes.

"About what else I said—."

"Don't," Jane broke in to say, "I know everything else was true." He let out a little sigh. "I can't say it felt nice to hear it, but at least I know where I stand."

"I could have been nicer about it," she said.

"It's not who you are. You tell it straight, no false pleasantries. You're honest, Lisbon, and I admire that about you."

Even though her honesty hurt him. That went unsaid. She wondered if they were done, if he would leave now and they would get back to work, but Jane stayed where he was. "Do you think we can continue working together?" she asked.

"I want to," he said.

"We do make a good team," she said. Many people had remarked on that. She and Jane had always complimented each other in some strange way. His wild card ways juxtaposing with her by the book procedures.

Jane smiled and tilted his head. "When you're not being closed minded."

His words weren't serious, but gentle and filled with a mirth. He was teasing her again. Lisbon rolled her eyes. "I'm not closed minded, you just think rules are meant to be broken."

"Only the ones that should be."

"Oh that's…" she stopped and shook her head, "I know what you're doing. You're trying to annoy me."

Jane's smiled broadened. "It's working beautifully."

"What a shock." This was just who they were. He teased, she retaliated, they made peace until he started prodding her again. It was how they did things. It was nice that they still had that, even if it was only a veil hiding their deeper issues.

"We have a case," Lisbon reminded him, "We should get back to that."

"I'll get out of your hair then," he said. Lisbon went to her desk and picked up a list of Young's patients, but she didn't even scan the first name when Jane said her name. "Lisbon."

She looked back up and saw that he was stopped just at her door. "You were never a pawn," he said, "None of you were. I know you may not fully believe that, but I'm going to figure out a way to prove it."

It meant a lot just to hear him say that. Lisbon looked down at a picture of Tyler on her desk. He was at a petting zoo, letting a lamb eat food from his hand. On his face was the same smile as his father. She looked back up at Jane to see all of those many beautiful traits of her son. "Good. I want you to."

Hopefully he knew that she meant it.

* * *

><p>The country club that Monica Young was currently a member of was as pretentious as the housekeeper had made it sound. Grace never particularly liked going to the places were the wealthy enjoyed to congregate, the only upside was discreetly gawking at the fine furnishings.<p>

The ride up to the club had been pleasant at least. Rigsby had given up on trying to wrangle the truth out of her about what happened between Jane and Lisbon. The days after the Spencer case had been uneasy, Grace just hoped that things would get better between them soon.

The Spencer case hadn't just made Jane and Lisbon troubled though. Grace had noticed that Rigsby was acting a lot more jovial lately and she was certain it had something to do with raven-haired woman she'd briefly met at the CBI. She knew that Nikki was his ex-girlfriend and that a date had been arranged…from the smile on his face it apparently went well. She was happy for him; he deserved to find someone that made him smile. She was happy for him…she was.

_You are_, she told herself as they stepped through the doors of the club, _you are happy for him. It's not unusual to be a little jealous, it's fine. You're fine._

And if she repeated that enough then it would be true…eventually.

She turned her attention back to the job at hand and pushed all thoughts of Rigsby and his new girlfriend to the back of her mind.

The man at the front desk was as snobby as he looked but one flash of their badges kept him from saying anything that might be construed as rude. "We're with the CBI," Rigsby told him, "We're looking for Monica Young."

"You will find her on the veranda," the man said snidely.

Grace was more than happy to leave him behind, now doubt critiquing their choice of clothing and "common manners" as they left. The veranda was beautiful and painfully neat, a breathtaking view of the gardens and golf courses was laid out before them. The maitre d' was kind enough to point Monica Young; she was sitting underneath one of the large umbrellas at a table with another woman.

Monica Young was in her early to mid forties, her blonde hair was professionally done but the brown roots were starting to become visible. She wore a little too much make up and had on some obviously expensive tennis clothes. The definition of trying too hard to fit in. "Monica Young," Grace said stepping up to the table.

"Yes."

"We're with the CBI ma'am," she pulled out her badge to show her, "we need to talk to you about your ex-husband."

She hid her surprise as best as she could but immediately gave her friend a fake smile, "Leslie, would you mind leaving us alone for a moment."

"Of course," Leslie said but looked at the agents with a mixture of curiosity and excitement before leaving the table.

Monica turned back to the two agents, "What has Jim done now? Has he filed a complaint about me or something?"

"He's missing," Grace stated.

That threw her for a loop, "Missing?"

"Do you know anyone that might want to harm him?" Rigsby asked.

She leveled her gaze with Rigsby; "The only thing Jim and I have talked about is how much money he still owes me from the divorce."

"We heard you were arguing with him at the hospital last month," Grace pointed out.

"It's true," Monica admitted, "He told me that he paid me what I was entitled to when the divorce was finalized but then he buys an expensive home in Elverta." She shook her head with an wicked smile, "I knew he was hiding money from me, I just didn't believe he was that stupid to think that I would just let him get away with it."

"So you were angry with him."

"Of course I was," Monica continued, "he has an affair with a scrawny little intern and then tries to keep me from getting my fair share. I just wanted to shoot the son of a bitch." She quickly realized what she'd said and looked up at the two agents somberly, "I didn't do it of course."

Grace and Rigsby looked at one another but kept their feelings hidden from the woman, "Where were you last night and early this morning?" Rigsby asked.

"I was at a party at Victor Kensington's home until one," She explained, "afterwards I went home."

"Can anybody verify that?"

"Everyone at the party," Monica explained and then smiled, "and Brent Garringer, he went home _with_ me." She pulled out a pen and wrote some numbers down on a paper napkin, "Go on ahead, call them. You'll see."

"We'll do that," Rigsby said, taking the napkin and bidding her good-bye. Grace was happy to leave. "Remind me never to marry a woman like that," Rigsby said once they were out of earshot.

Grace smiled at the joke but her heart felt a little heavy at the thought. _You are happy for him_, she repeated. _You are happy for him._

* * *

><p>Lisbon was starting to get that fear again; she was beginning to feel like this case was going to go nowhere. What made it worse was that this wasn't a homicide, not yet at least. It was still a missing persons but with each minute that ticked by without a lead on Young she knew that the likely hood of it turning into one increased.<p>

"Any thing on the APB?" She asked but she knew the answer already.

"Nothing," Van Pelt admitted, "He hasn't been admitted to any hospitals nearby and none of the calls that came in have panned out."

She shook her head, "With that amount of blood loss he would have needed to go to a hospital immediately."

It was the unspoken words that haunted her. If Young hadn't been admitted to a hospital then it probably meant they should stop looking for him and start looking for his body.

"Maybe not," Cho broke their morbid thoughts as he stepped into the squad room hanging up his cell phone. "I just got a call from forensics, the blood we found at the scene doesn't match James Young."

None of them were expecting that answer, "Are they sure?" Lisbon asked dumbfounded.

He nodded, "The blood type isn't a match, they are running it through CODIS to see if there is a hit but that could take a while."

"Then who got shot in his home?" Rigsby said, asking the question they were all thinking.

Jane sat up from the couch with that look on his face that meant he was recalling something, "The maid said three men came to the house looking for him."

"She thought they were dangerous," Lisbon said recalling the conversation, "If Young wasn't the one shot—."

"He's running," Jane finished. He turned to Van Pelt, "Look to see if the doctor bought a gun recently."

"You think he was preparing to protect himself," Lisbon inferred from his request.

"He told Rosa not to let anyone in, she warned him that men had come to see him," Jane reminded her, "he was involved in something with some very bad people that wanted him to pay up or worse."

"But what would a surgeon be doing with those kinds of men?" She asked not expecting an answer, not an obvious one anyway.

"We find that out and we may find him."

Lisbon sighed; she looked at the rest of her team in time to catch all three of them exchanging amused looks. It took a moment for her to realize that they had had a front row seat to her little mind meld with Jane on the case. She guessed it had been a while since she'd worked so neatly with Jane.

Working with Jane was like second nature to her now, even when she couldn't trust him with anything more than that.

She turned back to Jane to see if he'd caught he looks between the rest of the team but was surprised to see that he was looking past her. Lisbon turned to see what had grabbed Jane's attention only to freeze from shock.

David was walking into the squad room. Dear God why did he have to come now…with Jane here too?

"Teresa," he said as soon as he was in the room, "I need to talk to you."

"I…I can't right now David," she told him. She was nervous about this situation, Jane and David being in the same room as each other. "I have a case."

"I know, that's why I'm here." That was not what she was expecting. David must have known from the look on her face because he explained, "You are looking for Jim aren't you?"

"Yes," Lisbon replied, "He's missing."

David nodded, "Well last week he and I were talking, he started asking me a bunch of questions. He knew that I'd worked with the CBI before and he wanted to know if I was still in touch. It seemed like he had something important he wanted to tell me."

"Did he say anything?"

He shook his head; "I got called in for an emergency surgery before he could." David hesitated for a moment, "But when I was leaving my apartment this morning I found this sticking out of my mail slot."

He handed her a piece of paper and she unfolded it to see hurried script on a plain piece of paper.

_David- Don't call the cops yet but something's come up. I need help. I'll call you at 7 tonight to explain. If I don't then tell your friends to look up César Márquez. –Jim_

Lisbon read the note aloud and looked back up at David, "Is this everything?"

"That's all I know."

She turned to Cho, "Cho look up César Márquez, we need to find the connection between him and Young." Lisbon looked back to David, "We're going to need you here at seven, if Young calls you we'll want to try and trace his location."

David nodded, "I have a surgery this afternoon, I'll make sure it doesn't get in the way. I want to find Jim."

"Can you tell us about what happened with him and Candace?" Lisbon winced as soon as she heard Jane's voice. He had abandoned his couch and was now standing beside her with a look in his eye she couldn't quite identify, but knowing him he was up to no good.

David looked to Jane and then back to Lisbon, clearly at a loss for words, "I'm sorry," Jane said politely, "I'm Patrick Jane, I'm a consultant that works with Lisbon's team." David already knew that and Lisbon had a feeling that Jane had figured that out, this was just his way of forcing an introduction.

"Yeah, I know," David replied, "David Bennett," he shook Jane's hand respectfully, "I worked with Teresa a few months ago."

"We're all adults here," Jane assured him, "no need to hide your relationship."

Lisbon silently begged the earth to open up and make her disappear, or better yet to open up and swallow Jane whole.

"Well, uh, Jim and Candace had an affair," David said, "There isn't much else to say."

"Was Candace attractive?"

David cleared his throat and met Lisbon's eye. "You don't have to answer that," she said.

"No, it's okay, but, uh yeah, she was attractive."

"Did it surprise you when you learned of the affair?" Jane asked.

David shrugged. "Well I never really thought Jim had the guts to cheat, so yeah, but…I guess I was more surprised by Candace."

"Why?"

"Jim…he's not exactly Patrick Dempsey."

Jane nodded. "So Dr. Young is weak, something Candace noticed and she decided to use him in order to get ahead in the surgical intern program. That's what you think, right?"

"Yeah, that's right," David said, "I mean, it's not like Jim's a bad guy, he just made a mistake."

Jane just nodded again, looking polite and pleasant. "Thank you, you have been very helpful."

David blinked several times and then shook his head a little. "I'm sorry, I know you said you were a consultant, but what does any of that have to do with this case? Candace is in Arizona, no way could she be involved."

"Uh oh," Rigsby said, just barely loud enough for everyone to hear. Lisbon shot him a look and then touched David's arm.

"We can talk about this more in my office," she said. There really wasn't much else to say, but she knew Jane. David didn't.

"I'm just trying to understand your friend's character," Jane said.

"Okay, but how exactly do you do that? I mean, what do you do?"

Lisbon winced, she guessed that was why Jane smiled. Either that or he was enjoying what was about to come to fruition. The worst part was, there was nothing she could do to stop it.

"You're from the East, aren't you?" Jane said.

"Yeah," David said, "How did you know?"

"Boston? No, New Jersey," Jane continued, "You're an only child and your parents divorced when you were young, giving you this need to prove yourself."

"Jane," Lisbon said his name as warning. Not that there was a point since he never listened to her anyways.

"One of your parents was from California, you're mother I presume. You went back East for college, Yale? No…Duke and then you practiced in New York."

David said nothing, just stood there and listened as his life was spelled out for him. Jane looked him over once more. "You've never been married, but you came close once. Engaged. She broke it off, probably because your career was too demanding for her. You came back here to start over."

David was still silent and Lisbon couldn't blame him. Jane had done this to all of them, granted usually it wasn't so blunt. Jane was clearly trying to make a point.

"Well, uh," David stammered, "You're very good. I can see why they keep you around." He gave Jane a semi-smile, more for politeness and then looked at Lisbon, "Do you think I could get a cup of coffee? I've been up since four this morning."

"Sure," Lisbon said and gently touched his shoulder to guide him away. She looked back and gave Jane her best withering look—which only made him grin—and then walked David to the break room.

"I'm so sorry," she said the minute they were out of earshot.

"Forget it, I had it coming I guess," David said, "Clearly the man has some pride in what he does."

"More like arrogance," Lisbon said. She found a clean mug and poured him a cup of black coffee. "I would have warned you about Jane if I had known you were coming."

"It's alright, it's not like I've got anything to hide."

Lisbon grinned. "Then you're as safe from Jane as anyone can be."

"That's good to know."

She nodded a little. "Is this okay with you? I mean, you know about Jane…and me."

"What happened between you two is in the past, right?" he said in a casual way.

"Yeah, I mean we weren't really anything," she said.

David took her hand and stroked it with his thumb. "Then I'm okay with it."

Lisbon smiled and lightly touched his cheek with her free hand, just one indulgence before she had to get back to work. "Let's go to my office so I can get an official statement from you."

He nodded. "Lead the way, Agent Lisbon."

* * *

><p>Jane had gone to the break room to get another cup of tea, but he found himself sipping it while standing in the doorway. Here he had an undisturbed view of the open door to Lisbon's office. She was supposed to be getting her boyfriend's statement, but judging by the way she was smiling they had digressed away from work.<p>

She was very comfortable with David. She smiled a lot around him and clearly wasn't afraid to let her team get to know him—excluding himself of course. Jane had to wonder if she was like that in all of her serious relationships or if David was special. He had never really seen her in a relationship. Sure, he'd guessed when she'd gone on dates but most of them had never gone well. This was different though.

He should walk away, but for once Jane's head couldn't command his body. He couldn't stop looking at them.

"You know, technically that's stalking."

Jane didn't look back at Cho even though he had been caught. To turn around would be to advertise his guilt, better to just continue.

"How so?" Jane asked, "I'm working the case."

"By watching her? Lisbon can take care of herself."

A change of subject was the best way to go. "Cho, there is something I've been thinking about for a few days now. Tyler was born on January sixteenth, right?"

"That's right."

Jane nodded. "You called me that day. I remember because I hadn't heard from you in a while."

Cho put down the coffee pot he'd been holding and turned back to Jane. "Yeah, I did. I was standing outside the nursery and I…I almost told you."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because I didn't think a man should find out he's a father on the phone," Cho said, "And I didn't know what you would do, maybe something stupid like try to escape."

Jane grinned. "Well I've done that already so you knew I could have."

"So that's why I didn't say anything," Cho said, "I would have eventually but Lisbon beat me to it. I was just looking for the right time."

"It means a lot that you thought about it," Jane said in return.

Cho just gave him a simple nod and turned back to the coffee pot. "Lisbon tries to keep her family to herself. I think David's the first guy she's really opened up to."

"How long has she been seeing him?"

Cho shrugged while he poured his coffee into a cup. "A few months. Why do you want to know?"

"I'm curious," he admitted, "He's in my son's life and I want to know more about him."

"Well Lisbon thinks that pedophilia charge against him was bogus."

There was a brief moment of panic before Jane realized that Cho was just teasing. He grinned at him in return. "Clever, not at all funny, but clever."

"It was funny on my end." Cho sipped at his coffee before setting it down again. "He's a good guy. I don't think he'd do anything to hurt Tyler or Lisbon."

Jane had already seen that David was everything he said to be. He wasn't a person to be feared. He lacked the nerve to do anything colorful. He was almost too perfect. Maybe that was what bothered Jane. He was like a work of art with equal lines and a perfect pattern, lacking the little flaws that gave it character.

"He bugs you doesn't he?" Cho said.

"I hardly know him."

"He still bothers you."

No point in denying that. He wouldn't be observing the man so intently if he didn't have a problem with him. "He knows Tyler," Jane said, "He's in his life."

"And you're not."

"Not yet."

Cho nodded a little. "Is that all that bothers you?"

"You think I need a better reason than that?"

"I'm thinking you're jealous because David is in Tyler's life," he said.

"I'll admit to that," Jane said. No father would be at ease with this situation.

"But it's more than that. David is involved with Lisbon."

Jane narrowed his eyes a bit and tilted his head. "Lisbon never told you about us, did she?"

"We had to look up her file to find out her birthday, you really think she'd tell us about what happened between you guys?"

"That was what I thought. But you know it was just once. That doesn't suggest we had much of a relationship."

Cho didn't drop his gaze. "You really trying to tell me she didn't mean anything to you?"

He could hit the nail on the head, damn hard too. Jane couldn't lie and say she didn't. It was Lisbon, she could never mean nothing to him. But he wouldn't stoop so low as envy when it came to her relationship with David. Jealousy was such a rough, primitive emotion, wholly unproductive. There were other ways to focus ones energies than to pine over something or someone.

"I'm not going to be the jealous ex-lover, Cho," Jane said.

"You sure you can stop that?" Cho challenged him.

But Jane had always had a way of controlling his mind and emotions. Yes, he had lapsed and given into them a few times, but he could do it. He couldn't give in to jealousy because that would lead to very dangerous things.

* * *

><p>An hour later Jane entered Lisbon's office without knocking, nothing unusual there. He poked his head through the doorway with his usual grin, "Rigsby came back with information on César Márquez."<p>

Lisbon didn't look up from her computer, "I know." She kept her voice icy and clipped; she wanted him to know just how angry she was now.

He stepped into the office but he still had that same smug grin. "You're going to be snippy with me until I apologize to your boyfriend aren't you?"

She slapped the top of her laptop down and finally looked up at him with a scathing glare. "Why did you do that Jane?"

Jane shrugged, "He asked."

Lisbon didn't like that answer. "You could have explained it differently, you didn't have to interrogate him."

"Oh relax," Jane waved it off, "It's not like he had any deep dark secrets to hide."

"That's not the point Jane," she replied. Lisbon studied him for a moment, trying to decipher his motivations, "Do you have a problem with David?" His silence was telling and she shook her head, "Don't tell me you're jealous."

Jane smiled again, "Interesting that you should think that. Makes me wonder if you _want_ me to be jealous."

God she hated that arrogant smile. "Cut the crap Jane, if you have a problem with David tell me now."

He finally grew serious for a moment, "I wanted to know about him. He spends time with my son and I want to know."

Lisbon could understand that, except it meant Jane doubted her ability to judge people. She shook her head. "David is a good person Jane. I would never let someone that I think would be a danger near my son."

"Yes," Jane said flatly, "I know."

The words left silence in their wake as Lisbon let them sink in. She knew what he meant now. David was allowed to see Tyler while Jane, his father, was not. But there was a difference. She trusted David, she wasn't afraid of him.

She couldn't say the same about Jane.

Now she wasn't comfortable with the situation, she didn't like the guilt that was flaring up inside of her. "Rigsby said that Márquez has ties to the Mexican Mafia." Going back to the case, that was always a safe subject to hide behind.

Jane nodded, "It isn't surprising, we already knew he must have been doing something illegal."

"But what is it?" she asked, "What would a surgeon be doing with someone like Márquez? It doesn't make sense." Jane considered the question for a moment, which meant he was thinking about something, "Do you have an idea?"

"Possibly."

Damn he was doing that secretive thing again. "I don't have time to play this game Jane, we're still waiting for LAPD to send us their files on Márquez."

"Oh don't worry about that," Jane said standing up, "I'm sure they'll be here by the time we get back."

"Get back?" She asked completely caught off guard, "We're going somewhere?"

"We're following a lead."

Lisbon was never going to trust an evasive Patrick Jane. "Where?"

"You'll see."

She stood up from her desk. "Jane, I'm not taking you anywhere until you tell me where we're going."

Jane smiled, "I thought I'd take you." And he held up her car keys with flourish.

"How did you get those?" she asked and made a grab for them but Jane held them out of her reach. He simply smiled and began to walk out of the office. "Jane!" she called out after him, "Jane!"

Lisbon sighed, "Damn him," she muttered and grabbed her gun and badge before rushing after him.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"A church?" Lisbon asked incredulously as Jane parked the car, "this was the secret place you were going to take me to, a church?"

"What?" Jane replied with an innocent air, "We're following a lead."

"At a church?"

He smiled as he stepped out of the car. "Dr. Young had a catholic saint's day calendar on his wall and a program from St. Anthony Parish." Jane gestured to the building behind him, "We know that he was involved with some bad things with some _very_ bad people. Now what does a good Catholic do when he's committed a sin?"

She narrowed her eyes at him but decided to play along. "He goes to confession."

"Exactly."

Lisbon followed him towards the church but wasn't joining in on the support. "One problem there Jane, confessions are private. No priest is going to tell you what Young said."

"He'll tell me enough," Jane replied easily.

She gave him her best annoyed look. "You're going to try and trick a priest into telling you what Young confessed to?"

"Trick is such a juvenile word," Jane explained, "We're simply going to ask him questions and I'll read his reactions."

Lisbon shook her head, "Whatever, but I'm standing away from you. Don't want the lighting to hit me by accident."

Jane grinned. "As long as you have a plan."

She rolled her eyes as she entered the church. The inside was quiet, like a place of worship should be. It was bigger than the one she attended irregularly; St. Anthony's had a more traditional feeling to it. It was beautiful though, she felt that familiar sense of peace that came with entering a church, faith could be a comfort sometimes.

Immediately an older man in his late forties stepped forward from the altar. If the priest collar wasn't an indication then his soft kind demeanor and peaceful expression told Lisbon immediately he was the priest. "Hello, I'm Father Langley, what brings you to the Lord's house today."

"Questions," Lisbon explained and she held up her badge, "I'm Agent Lisbon, this is Patrick Jane, we're from the CBI. We are here to talk to you about one of your parishioners, Dr. James Young."

Father Langley looked at her concerned. "Has something happened to him?"

She nodded, "He's missing, we're contacting anyone that knows him so that we can find him and bring him in as safely as possible."

The man shook his head sadly. "I would love to be of service to you but quite frankly I have no idea where Jim might be."

"What kind of parishioner is he?" Jane asked suddenly.

Father Langley blinked a couple of times. "Excuse me?"

"Is he a good catholic? Does he come to mass every week or just every now and then?" Jane clarified. Lisbon wasn't entirely sure where Jane was going with this but knew well enough to just let him be.

The priest hesitated before finally saying, "Jim is a righteous man, but he is experiencing a crisis of faith. Sometimes when temptation is thrown our way, it is hard to resist."

"Ah, his infidelity."

Father Langley sighed, "As I said, he was having a crisis of faith. I was hoping that I could privately counsel him and bring him back to the Lord's path."

"So he came to you for confession," Jane finished.

"He has sought to be absolved from his sins," Father Langley explained, "but I cannot share anything more than that."

Jane was quiet for a moment as he studied the priest carefully. She didn't know what he was seeing but she had no doubts that something was there. "He came here recently didn't he?"

Langley paused before admitting. "Yes he did, yesterday."

"He was afraid."

"Yes, I found him at the altar praying. He told me that 'he'd sold his soul and the Devil was coming to collect'," Langley finished gravely.

"Do you know what he meant by that?" Lisbon asked.

The priest looked up at her with remorseful eyes. "I'm afraid I can't tell you, I honestly wish I could."

"Dr. Young may be in danger," Lisbon reminded him, "if you know something that could help us find him, or stop whoever is after him, then you should tell us."

Father Langley shook his head. "I cannot Agent Lisbon, you must understand, I can't break my vows."

It was frustrating, to be so close to the truth and yet unable to do anything about it. Lisbon nodded slowly. "I understand Father, thank you for your time."

He nodded his head in goodbye and walked away towards the back of the church, disappearing in a doorway behind the altar. Lisbon sighed, she hated this, she hated that other people knew something and she didn't. She wanted to know what Jane had gleaned from the priest but decided to wait until they were outside to ask him.

But she didn't turn to leave the building. Instead Lisbon walked over to the small gathering of white candles by the altar. With a soft smile she lit one of the candles and silently prayed_. _"I miss you mom," she whispered to herself, "everyday."

Lisbon turned to see Jane right where she'd left him, but he had been watching her. Maybe he thought it was foolish, she knew he didn't believe, but she did. She had to believe that her mother was someplace better; the alternative was just too painful otherwise.

She didn't say anything until they stepped back into the parking lot. "Did we just waste our time?"

"Definitely not," Jane replied.

"How so?"

Jane smiled. "Because now I know that Dr. Young wasn't involved in your average run-of-the-mill illegal activities." He looked at her seriously. "He's been doing something bad. Not laundering money or smuggling drugs, something much more immoral."

"You got that from Father Langley?"

"The good Father was clearly distressed," Jane explained, "and not just because Dr. Young is missing. No, when he mentioned the sins that Young committed he glanced at you…he wanted to tell you desperately. That tells me that this is something much more serious."

Lisbon considered that information for a moment. "But we still don't know what it is."

"We will."

Jane was certain but Lisbon had her own doubts. What kind of trouble could a surgeon be involved in that had ties to the Mexican Mafia? It was a puzzle that was not going to be easy to solve, even if Jane had some ideas that he was unwilling to share.

Jane made to get into the car but she snatched the keys out of his hand quickly. "I'm not letting you drive again."

He looked at her with a wide grin. "What? We got here in one piece?"

"Please," Lisbon rolled her eyes. "You broke the speed limit the entire way, you're not getting into an accident, not in my car."

"When have I ever gotten into an accident with you?"

He wasn't going to get off with a technicality. "Just get into the car," she told him as she slid behind the wheel, declaring victory silently. Jane didn't put up a fight as he sat down in the passenger's side.

Lisbon started the car but caught sight of the large sign by the street that bore the church's name and the times of mass. Underneath that was an announcement, 'Join us for christening of Gregory Harriss'. She remembered when there was a similar announcement on a different sign, a different church and a different name.

She smiled at the memory of Tyler, only a few weeks old, dressed in his white christening gown and looking like a tiny cherub. It was a beautiful memory.

"Where was Tyler christened?"

Lisbon jumped, startled not just by Jane's voice but also by his question. He knew. He must have seen the sign and her reaction and just knew what she was thinking of. Damn that man for being able to see so much, sometimes she really hated it.

She was going to keep quiet, going to just pull out of the parking lot and leave it at that. But she glanced at Jane and saw a hunger in his eyes that she'd never seen before. He really wanted to know…and then her mouth took over. "At my church," she admitted, "Sacred Heart Parish." Suddenly she felt guilty, she had decided to have Tyler baptized in her church. Jane hadn't been there to say otherwise. "I know you don't believe in these things Jane, but it was important to me and I—"

Jane cut her off, "I would never begrudge you your faith Lisbon."

Lisbon sighed in relief and relaxed her grip on the steering wheel. It was stupid, she shouldn't feel that way at all. Hadn't she decided that Jane shouldn't have a part in Tyler's life yet?

"I assume Grace is his godmother," Jane said, catching her off guard again.

"Yes," Lisbon explained, "And my brother James is his godfather." Suddenly the memories of that day popped back into her head and she found herself smiling again. "Grace took her duties to heart, she spent days trying to find the right invitations, fretting over which photo of Tyler she should use." Lisbon laughed, "And then she didn't know what kind of gift to give him, or what dress to wear…I kept trying to tell her that it was a christening, and it wasn't even that formal, just the team and my brothers."

Her features softened and she sighed with a happy smile. "But she picked out his christening gown…and he looked beautiful. All in white with his curly hair and big eyes, he looked like a little doll."

She would never forget that day. Grace wore a dark purple dress, perfect for the occasion. Grace had stood beside her as she'd held her newborn son. The priest was all in white and smiled sweetly at the infant before gently dribbling the water onto his head. Tyler had only whimpered a little but quieted when she held him close. She missed those days, when he was so small and precious…they'd gone by so fast.

Lisbon turned to see that Jane was watching her, his eyes fixed on her completely. He seemed amazed and transfixed…but why? She blushed, she'd been babbling about Tyler being baptized that she'd all but forgotten her decision regarding Jane.

She turned her eyes back to the road but could still feel Jane's eyes all but boring holes into her. "We should get back to HQ, the files on Márquez should be there by now."

Jane didn't say anything as she kept her mind focused on driving, but it was hard. She wished she could know what he was thinking.

What had he meant by looking at her like that?

* * *

><p>Jane needed a cup of tea in order to calm his thoughts. What had happened to him in that car? He had asked about Tyler's christening because he knew Lisbon had been thinking about it and he was hoping she would give him some more details into his son's life. It had worked, but he hadn't expected her to look so…radiant. She was absolutely beautiful when she talked about her son, blooming from the joy of motherhood. It was a bit unsettling since this was supposed to be about Tyler, not about her, not yet. But if she looked like that just talking about their son, she had to have been glowing while pregnant. Now he longed more than ever that he could have seen her like that.<p>

This was dangerous. These thoughts would be distracting, they had been before. In fact it was these same thoughts and urges that had led to Tyler's creation to begin with. How ironic. It actually made him smile as he poured the hot water into his cup.

"Oh, uh, hi."

Jane turned around and saw that David had just entered the break room. It wasn't seven yet so he assumed that he had come to check for updates on his friend. "Hello Dr. Bennett." Might as well be polite even if it was the on the tip of his tongue to call him 'Hot Buns'.

"I came by to see if Teresa had anything new…but she wouldn't tell me."

"It's one of those cop things," Jane said, "They can't release anything unless specified otherwise."

"Right, yeah I get that." The man clearly had more to say, but couldn't find the right words. Nervous people were always amusing. "I…I knew who you were before," David finally said, "Tyler, he looks just like you."

Jane nodded. "So I've been told."

David looked down to the ground for a moment. The subliminal message was there even though Jane hadn't meant to let it be known, he couldn't help but resent this man just a little.

"I did a little research on you after Teresa told me," David said, "I am sorry for what happened to your family."

The pain was still fresh, but Jane had long since learned to live with it. The guilt would always be there but now he had the satisfaction of knowing that he had finished what he had started. He had killed Red John. That balm tempered the pain, not completely, but enough.

"Considering that, I imagine Tyler means a great deal to you," David said after a moment, "I understand your desire to be in his life, truth be told, I respect you for it."

"Hmm," Jane said with a nod, "That's kind of you."

"Whenever she decides to let you be involved I'm not going to stand in the way," he promised, "but I'm not going to force her hand. It's her decision."

"I understand," Jane assured him, "I can respect you for that." David was already trying to make a plan for the future, interesting. Clearly his relationship with Lisbon meant a great deal to him. But he spoke the truth, he could respect David for agreeing to stay out of the situation with Tyler.

"I must say, you're very talented," David said, "your ability to read people."

"Everyone has their skills, mine are just a little more unique."

"I may be off base here, but I thought that what happened earlier…maybe you have a problem with me."

The doctor was remarkably perceptive. This was going to bring this game to a different level. Well Jane always loved a challenge. "I have nothing personal against you, David," Jane said, "but you are involved in my son's life. I believe I have a right to know who you are exactly."

"I get that, really I do, but I wonder if this is just about Tyler."

Jane put down his tea and gazed back at David with interest. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Teresa told me that you two weren't really in a relationship, but I'm not an idiot. You two worked together for years so I understand that maybe there were some feelings there."

Yes, the good doctor was very perceptive.

"And now you have a kid together so that changes things," David continued, "but I just want to make sure this just about Tyler and not about Teresa."

Jane let himself smile a bit. David was threatened by him. This was going to be fun. "Oh what men dare do. What men may do. What men daily do, not knowing what they do," he said.

David blinked at him for a moment and then asked, "What?"

Jane just smiled and picked up his tea again. "I appreciate our talk, David." He had intended to leave it there, but he stopped just short of the door. "Oh, by the way, the nurses at your hospital said that you owe them a bottle of wine."

David's quizzical look morphed into a smile. "You spoke to Rhonda. What else did she say?"

Jane smiled broadly, barely keeping back his own laughter as he left the break room.

* * *

><p>"César Márquez has two partners," Rigsby said, reading from the file in front of him, "Miguel D'Cruz and Andrew Myers, and all three of them have rap sheets an inch thick."<p>

"The maid said that three men came to Young's home," Lisbon reminded them, "two were Latino and one was white." She shook her head. "It all fits."

Van Pelt looked up from her desk. "James Young purchased a Smith & Wesson .45 last week." She turned her eyes to her boss. "He was prepared."

"He knew they were coming after him," Lisbon agreed, "but this doesn't tell us anything we didn't already know. What was he doing with these guys?"

Jane stood up from his perch on his couch. "Dr. Young was broke after his wife divorced him."

"Yes," Grace said, "she took him for everything he had."

"But he bought an expensive home in Elverta," Jane finished.

"The wife said she thought he was hiding money," Rigsby pointed out.

"What if he wasn't?" Jane asked, "What if he only recently acquired this money? His ex-wife undoubtedly had alimony, and with her taste it was sure to be a lot."

"He's a surgeon," Lisbon reminded him, "he makes a pretty good living."

"After living in luxury for so long, it's a pretty difficult thing to turn away," Jane continued. "He needed money which leads us to César Márquez. The maid said last week the three men came to the house; he must have bought the gun afterwards for protection. That tells me that they were coming by to collect and he didn't have it."

"You think he borrowed money from them?"

"No," Jane said, "he was involved in an illegal activity but something fell through, he messed up and it cost them big. That's why he's on the run."

"But what was it?" Lisbon asked, "What was he doing with Márquez?"

Jane didn't say anything, which was fine since Lisbon was exactly expecting an answer anyways. She kept silent as she tried to fit the puzzle pieces together herself, but if Jane wasn't even sure then her chances of figuring out herself nonexistent.

"Boss," Cho said stepping into the squad room. "I just got a call from dispatch. SACPD found a body in Henley Park, gunshot wound to the abdomen. Description fits Miguel D'Cruz."

It took only a second for her to process the information and set a plan of action. "Call SACPD, tell them we'll be out there as soon as we can." Lisbon turned to Grace, "Van Pelt, stay here and keep looking through Young's records, find the connection between him and Márquez, we know it's there somewhere."

Rigsby and Cho were grabbing their gear to follow Lisbon out of the squad room. David appeared just as they were leaving, "Teresa what's—"

"We've got a lead," She explained as she breezed past him, "Van Pelt will be here until I get back."

And she was gone with Rigsby, Cho and Jane on her heels.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

The SACPD officer led them to a partially wooded area on the outskirts of Henley Park. The area had already been partitioned off by crime scene tape but the late hour kept the gawkers to a minimum.

"A couple of teenagers found the body an hour ago," the officer explained, "we secured the scene as soon as possible, no one's touched the body."

"Alright thanks," Lisbon said to him but her eyes were on the body that was lying nestled partially behind a bush and a tree trunk.

Medical Examiner Wallace was already kneeling by the body; doing a preliminary exam to gather what information she could before the autopsy. "Cause of death is most likely the gunshot wound to the stomach," Wallace said as soon as she saw the CBI team coming.

"That's definitely D'Cruz," Cho stated simply when he got a good look at the deceased.

"Can you tell us the caliber?" Lisbon asked.

"Not without digging the bullet out," Wallace replied, "But it could be a .45."

"That's the same caliber that Young bought," Rigsby pointed out.

Lisbon nodded but didn't say anything. Her eyes flickered to Jane who was studying the scene around him intently. He finally looked at her and said, "He was dumped here, his friends couldn't get him medical attention or didn't even try." Jane looked around again, "This is messy, they were panicking and chose this spot quickly, they weren't expecting Dr. Young to have a gun."

"So they show up at Young's townhouse sometime last night or early this morning," Lisbon began, "But he's prepared. He shoots D'Cruz and in the chaos manages to get away. But this means that they will be more determined than ever to find him…because now it's personal." She looked back to the body of D'Cruz and shook her head, "We have to find Young before they do…or he'll be dead too."

* * *

><p>"If Young was the one who shot D'Cruz then it is possible that he is still alive," Lisbon declared once the team was gathered together again in the squad room. "But Márquez is looking for him too…and we are no closer to finding him then we were a few hours ago."<p>

"How does a surgeon even get involved with someone like Márquez?" Rigsby asked the question that had been plaguing them all day.

"Greed, envy, a desire to hold onto his old lifestyle," Jane reminded them, "Basically the full run of the seven deadly sins."

"We understand why," Lisbon cut in, "It's the how that's still a mystery. What would Young have that Márquez would want?"

Silence pervaded the room with no obvious answers coming to mind. David stepped into the squad room, he might have noticed the uncomfortable air but he chose to ignore. "Teresa, did you find anything on Jim?"

She hesitated for a moment; Lisbon wasn't sure how much she could tell David, how much of the truth he could handle. At the same time she knew that David might be able to help them fill in those missing pieces. "We did…but he's still missing," she admitted before finally asking, "Do you know anything about Young's financials?"

David shrugged, "I knew he had some money problems after his divorce but he seemed to have been doing better now. He just bought that place in Elverta." Lisbon and Jane exchanged glances and he noticed, "Is something wrong?"

"Do you know how Young got the money?"

"No," David explained, "It's not something that you ask about you know?" He saw the look on Lisbon's face, the one that meant she was getting the answer she was expecting. "What is it?"

Before she could reply Van Pelt looked up from the papers on her desk. "Boss, I think we might have something."

That got Lisbon's blood pumping again, "What is it?"

Van Pelt held up a sheet of papers with several numbers highlighted in yellow, "I was looking at Young's phone records. He's been talking to one of Márquez's known numbers for a few months now."

"We knew he was in contact with Márquez already," Cho reminded her.

"But several times after he called Márquez he then called a Ralph Allington."

David looked up at the name, "Ralph?"

"He works in the morgue at the hospital," Jane stated.

David nodded, "Yeah but I didn't know they were talking."

Lisbon kept her eyes on the paper in front of her, "If he was contacting Allington after talking to Márquez that means that he's involved."

"He knows what Young was doing with Márquez," Jane finished for her.

David looked bewildered by all of this, "What the hell is going on?" He turned to look at Lisbon, "Teresa, you can't honestly believe that Jim was involved with someone like this."

She hated moments like this, when someone is too involved to believe the truth right in front of them. "David, the evidence is saying that—"

"Jim wouldn't be involved in something illegal."

"You are saying that because you know him," Lisbon replied.

"I'm telling you he couldn't have done it!"

"And I'm telling you that the evidence says otherwise." It came out a little louder than she'd intended but she didn't like that David doubted her, especially while on a case and in front of her team.

"You're wrong," David stated simply and then to her astonishment, he stormed away.

"David!" she called after him, following him out of the squad room and stopping him in the hallway, "What the hell was that?"

"You're wrong about Jim."

"No I am conducting an investigation and you are trying to tell me how to do my job," Lisbon explained. "Listen to me, I know Jim is your friend but I am not going to just ignore what the evidence is telling me because of your feelings."

David shook his head, "But I _know_ him."

"You have to learn that you can put your trust in the wrong people," Lisbon replied sternly, "that we can make mistakes."

"No," David said harshly, "this isn't about me trusting the wrong person. You need to see that not everyone out there is a bad guy, not everyone is going to betray you. Why can't you just trust someone dammit?"

Lisbon was at a loss for how this argument had turned around on her, "What is that supposed to mean?" David looked a little embarrassed by his words, as if he'd said too much. He probably had. He had meant what he'd said though; she could tell that this was coming from somewhere else. "Is this about Jane?" she asked softly.

David was quiet for a long moment and she searched his eyes for what he was thinking, but she didn't have Jane's talent. "I…I don't know," he finally said before turning away, "I just need some air."

"David," she said after him but he didn't turn around, just continued to walk away. Lisbon backed up against the wall, closed her eyes and sighed. Things had gone from good to bad in about two point three seconds. The worst part was that she couldn't say David was wrong either. She had her walls up, she always had, it was a way to keep herself from being hurt. And it seemed that whenever she did let her guard down…she was betrayed.

Lisbon knew David said he was okay with Jane, but she wasn't so sure. Was she asking too much? It was terrible really, David was a good man, someone she could really care for. It wasn't his fault that her life was so screwed up.

But Lisbon also knew that David was wrong about one thing. Dr. Jim Young was involved in something bad, and he was in way over his head. She just had to prove it.

She opened her eyes and looked back to the squad room to see Jane standing in the doorway watching her. He must have heard everything, the whole team probably had. He had seen her argument with David…he knew that beneath it all was the question of him.

They held each other's gaze for a long moment. Lisbon was the one who finally looked away. It was the case, that was always the best way to ignore problems. "Get Cho, we're going to Mercy General to talk to Ralph Allington."

A case was always the best distraction.

* * *

><p>The sun was beginning to set when they entered Mercy General. The ride to the hospital had been mostly silent, Cho was never one to talk much and Jane decided not to embarrass Lisbon any further than she had been. He hadn't intended to overhear her argument with her boyfriend, but frankly it had been impossible to avoid.<p>

Once they were inside of the hospital Jane immediately headed for the one place he knew he could get information: the nurse's station. The ever-helpful Rhonda was still on duty and she smiled broadly as soon as she caught sight of him. "Hello handsome, nice to see you again. I hope you're here to see me."

Jane grinned. "I'm afraid I'm here on a case."

"Damn shame I was hoping you would finally be my patient." Her eyes flicked to Cho and she winked at him. "But your friend will do."

Lisbon did her best to hide her smirk but Jane caught it, well at least she was feeling better now. "Well I do believe he is single," Jane said and Cho gave him a surprised look. This time Lisbon couldn't hide her smile.

"Well in that case," Rhonda said suggestively and gave Cho another once over. "What can I do for you sugar?"

Lisbon was able to keep her amusement under control, "We're actually here to speak to Ralph Allington, is he in?"

"Oh he's here alright," Rhonda replied, "He's downstairs where he always is, with the bodies."

"Thank you," Lisbon said genuinely before turning to leave for the elevator.

"Yes thank you Rhonda." Jane grinned at her before he turned to follow his two teammates.

"You come back anytime now, handsome," Rhonda called after him, which had Lisbon smiling again and shaking her head.

"She's a fan of yours," Cho said as they stepped onto the elevator.

Jane shrugged but he was still smiling. "Eh you can have her."

"No," Cho replied easily, "I think she's more your type."

"You two can go talk to your girlfriend _after_ we talk to Ralph Allington," Lisbon cut in on the fun. Her demeanor was much more amused though.

The elevator doors opened to the morgue. There were several empty tables; a couple were occupied, though thankfully covered with white sheets. There was only one living person in the room, a man in light blue scrubs. He was in his early thirties with messy brown hair; he looked up as soon as the elevator doors opened. "Can I help you?"

"Ralph Allington?"

"Yes."

"I'm Agent Lisbon with the CBI, Agent Cho and Patrick Jane," Lisbon said easily, "We have a few questions for you about Dr. Young."

Immediately Ralph tensed up, he tried his best to look unaffected by the name but Jane saw all the markings of guilt and self-preservation. "I don't know where he is."

"Phone records say he talked to you quite a bit."

Ralph shrugged, "We're friends."

"Oh that's not true," Jane said with a smile. Ralph turned to him with an accusing look so Jane continued, "You don't particularly like surgeons do you? Well let's face it, some of them can be pretty arrogant, I suppose it comes from holding someone else's life in their hands, literally. To them you are nothing, just someone who picks up the ones they can't save." He kept his eyes on Ralph, "It must have been gratifying for you to see one of them in such a dejected state."

He looked at Jane with a small smug smile, "I'll admit it was fun while it lasted."

"Until he started helping you."

Ralph shook his head, "No, we just had a talk and found out we had something's in common."

It was a lie, Jane could tell that immediately. Obviously Lisbon didn't believe Ralph either. "Dr. Young was having financial problems but then he suddenly bought an expensive townhouse in Elverta."

The man shrugged, "Maybe he came into an inheritance." There was a slight tick in his cheek, that was his tell.

Lisbon shook her head, "We think he was involved with someone named Márquez."

"You ever heard of him?" Cho asked, they were closing in on Ralph, almost like predators stalking prey.

"Nope."

Jane was busy studying Ralph Allington when he noticed the one thing that would trap him. He turned to Lisbon with a grin. "Do you remember that casino we went to in Calida?"

"I remember that I gave you one hundred dollars."

"I paid you back, triple," Jane reminded her.

She rolled her eyes. "What is this about Jane?"

He just smiled and turned his attention to Cho, "Do you remember what I bought with my winnings?"

"You bought the girls jewelry and I got an ugly watch."

"It was horrible," Jane agreed and looked over at Ralph, "And the one I got Rigsby looked a lot like the one that you're wearing Ralph." He caught Lisbon's eye again, "How much do you think that watch cost?"

Lisbon shrugged, "I don't know, but I'm guessing a lot more than a mortuary assistant can afford." She turned her attention to Ralph with an accusing glare.

Now Ralph looked like a deer caught in the headlights, "I…uh…it's a fake."

Jane scoffed, "Now that's the worst lie yet."

Ralph backed away a step as Lisbon asked, "You were involved with Dr. Young's plans with César Márquez weren't you?"

Ralph began to reach for something; a tray of scalpels was only a couple of inches away from his hand. "I wouldn't do that Ralph," Jane told him honestly, "they're both really good shots and she's got a mean right hook. Take my word on that one."

Lisbon gave Jane a look but Ralph stopped reaching for a weapon and stepped forward in defeat. "We'll finish this at the CBI."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Ralph Allington was nervous inside of the interrogation room but tried to keep a façade of calmness that unfortunately was very easy to see through. He sat defiantly in the chair, only looking up with Lisbon and Jane entered. "I'm not saying anything."

"That's fine," Lisbon replied with ease, "We'll do all the talking." She set some papers down in front of him, the first being the list of numbers that were highlighted. "We know Dr. Young was involved with an illegal business deal with César Márquez. Dr. Young was making phone calls to Márquez, after almost each one of those calls he called you."

She set down another piece of paper, "We also took a look into your financials. You've been making several large deposits recently…that just happen to coincide with deposits that Young was making." Lisbon looked Allington in the eye, "Are you going to tell me you weren't working with him or will you tell me the truth?"

Ralph studied the papers for a moment before leaning back in his chair, "This is all you've got? You can't prove anything."

Jane had been keeping quiet till then, now it was his turn to play. "He's right Lisbon, we really don't have much to pin him on."

Ralph wasn't expecting that, "What is this?"

"I'm agreeing with you," Jane explained, "if all we have is phone numbers then we'll just have to turn you lose anyways." He leveled his gaze with Ralph. "But Jim is missing, he's running from Márquez, they've already attacked him once. They'll find him and when they do, you really think he won't talk? He'll sing like a bird. And when they are finished with him they are going to come after you."

While Jane had fully explained the nightmarish scenario Ralph's smug demeanor quickly melted into absolute horror. Lisbon noticed. "Unless we help you," she finished, "you tell us what you and Dr. Young were doing and you'll be under our protection."

"If not," Jane continued, "you go free, and Márquez will be too."

Ralph was silent for a long time as he weighted the options of going to prison but being protected or keeping silent and possibly facing a mob boss on his own. Eventually self-preservation won out. "Jim needed the money, his ex-wife took him for everything he had. One day I mentioned that we had an unclaimed body in the morgue that county was taking for cremation…and we had an idea.

"Jim was the one who got in contact with Márquez, I don't know how and I didn't ask. My job was simple. I let Jim know when someone wasn't being claimed and he called the guys. Instead of county coming by to pick up the body, someone else takes it and…sells it."

That wasn't something Lisbon was expecting, "You were _selling_ dead bodies?"

Ralph looked ashamed, "People need them, research and stuff. There aren't a lot of people that want to donate their bodies to science so…we can get a good payday for it."

"What went wrong?"

He shook his head, "A homeless guy was brought in. He'd had a heart attack, but they couldn't revive him. After a few days I figured that no one was going to come, I called Jim and he called Márquez and told them we had one ready." Ralph sighed, "But one of the nurses found an address with his things, she found the guy's daughter and she claimed the body…so we didn't have anything for Márquez."

"And he didn't like losing money," Jane finished.

Ralph nodded. "They didn't know my name…but they knew Jim, I guess that's why they are after him."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Lisbon and Jane stepped out of the interrogation room, leaving Ralph with the arresting officer. They found David behind the glass watching his co-worker be formally arrested. She hesitated before finally asking, "Is he telling the truth? Can you get a lot of money from selling bodies?"

David nodded numbly, "A whole body can get you about $200,000. And that's through legal measures, illegally…" He stopped and sighed, "and you can get more if you sell the parts one by one."

"Like car theft," Jane said, "you get more selling the pieces when they are separated from the whole."

David finally looked at Lisbon and she saw real pain and sorrow etched into his face. "I can't believe this," he said simply.

"I know," Lisbon replied softly. She really wanted to go to him and hold him close, let him mingle his grief with her own. But she couldn't. They were not alone and she was on the job, it wasn't the time or the place yet.

So she kept her hands to herself. "It's almost seven," she reminded him gently, "we have to get ready."

One thing was for sure. If Jim Young was still alive he would be calling David…unless Márquez had already found him.

They would know soon enough.

* * *

><p>The minutes ticked by slowly as the team and David gathered around Van Pelt's desk. David's phone had been hooked up to a tracker, which was connected to Grace's computer. If Jim Young called David and they could keep him on the phone long enough, then they would be able to trace his location.<p>

Lisbon hated waiting. She hated not knowing if Jim Young was dead or alive, she didn't want to fail on this one, she didn't want to feel responsible for another death. And if he didn't call then they were out of options. They knew what he had been doing now…but they had no idea where he was.

Seven o'clock rolled around and they all stared at the phone.

It didn't ring.

The seconds continued to slip by and with each time that second hand ticked Lisbon felt her stomach twist into a tighter knot.

Seven-oh-one.

He wasn't going to call. He couldn't. Márquez had gotten to him first. If they were lucky then they would find the body eventually…but luck wasn't usually on their side. She'd failed this time, she'd missed something and now Jim Young could very well be dead.

Seven-oh two.

She finally stopped looking at the phone and met Jane's eyes. His face was a mask, hiding every thought and every feeling he had. Did he feel guilty? Did he feel like they had failed too? He knew how she felt, of that she was certain.

Seven-oh three.

David's phone began to ring. A simple ring tone that was accompanied by the phone vibrating on the table. Lisbon's heart pounded with excitement and hope as she saw the name 'Jim' appear on the screen.

She met David's gaze and she nodded to give him the go ahead. "Put it on speaker." Lisbon told him before he finally answered the phone.

"David," the voice of Jim Young broke the silence.

"Yeah Jim it's me," David said calmly though Lisbon knew he was nervous and upset. He was doing well; he just had to keep it together.

"Did you talk to the police?"

Lisbon shook her head and David replied, "No, but Jim if you are in trouble…"

"They are looking for me David, my face is all over the news."

"Your maid found blood at your house Jim," David explained, "They are looking for you. Coming around the hospital and asking questions. They are saying some things…that you are involved in something bad."

"I just didn't know what else to do, Monica was taking everything. I had to live David, I had to do something."

"If you are in trouble then you should turn yourself in."

"No I can't do that, I can't go to prison."

Lisbon was writing something on a piece of paper and showed it to David _Ask him to meet._ "Look Jim, let's meet somewhere, let's talk."

"No David," Jim said quickly, "It's too dangerous. They are after me and they are close. I need to get away, I need to get out of California or they'll kill me."

"What can I do?"

"I have to go. But I'll call you again…you'll help me right."

"Yeah," David said softly, "I'll help you." Lisbon wrote down another note. _Keep him on._ "Jim you have to tell me—"

"Goodbye David."

"Jim wait!"

But the line went dead and David looked up at Lisbon with an anxious expression. Lisbon looked over at Grace, "Did you get a location?"

Grace sighed and shook her head, "He's in Sacramento, that's all we got."

David let out a frustrated groan and covered his face with his hands. He was worried about his friend who was on the run from the Mexican mafia after illegally selling bodies. That was too much for anyone to take in one day.

"There was a lot of ambient noise," Jane said out of the blue. Immediately all eyes turned to him. "I could hear crickets but no cars, meaning he was outside and in a quiet area. Sirens were in the distance but they were constant, not moving." He turned to Grace, "Check to see what accidents have been reported right now."

"Alright," Grace replied and immediately her fingers began flying over the keyboard.

David openly gaped at Jane, "How did you hear that?"

Jane shrugged, "I listened."

A few seconds later Grace had a list of reported car accidents, "There's an accident on I-80, another one on Rio Linda Boulevard, and one on—"

"Did you say Rio Linda?"

Grace nodded, "Yeah, Rio Linda Boulevard."

Jane looked up at Lisbon with a triumphant smile, "St. Anthony Parish is near Rio Linda."

Lisbon's heart immediately began to race, "He's going to see Father Langley."

"Like any good Catholic who is afraid he's near death."

"We have to get there before Márquez does," Lisbon said quickly. The team was already gathering their things.

"Teresa," David began, "What should I—?"

"Stay here David," Lisbon said firmly, "Dr. Young has already shot one person and the men who are following him are sure to be armed. We'll bring him in."

That was a promise she hoped to God she could keep.

* * *

><p>There were only two other cars in the parking lot of St. Anthony Parish; one was an old 2004 Chrysler Coupe that Lisbon assumed was Father Langley's vehicle. Mostly because the second car was a nice BMW, no way a priest could afford a car like that.<p>

Jane noticed the car too, "You see, he's here. What did I tell you?"

Lisbon didn't acknowledge this but simply parked the car, the rest of the team parked in Cho's car in the spot next to her. "Stay here Jane," she warned him, "Young has a gun and I don't want you to get shot."

"Your concern for my safety is touching."

She rolled her eyes and slipped on her Kevlar vest, grateful to see that Cho, Rigsby and Van Pelt were doing the same. "Young is in there, he's armed and there is a civilian in there with him. We do this right and we get them both out of there." Lisbon turned to the boys. "Cho, Rigsby, you two go around back in case he tries to slip away. Van Pelt, you're with me."

They quickly followed her orders with Jane staying behind in the car, at least when it came to arresting armed suspects he knew to follow her orders. If only he would learn to do that the rest of the time.

Van Pelt and Lisbon quietly crept into the church; they could hear voices in the sanctuary. "You need to see the police Jim, they can help you."

"I can't go to the police, Father!"

"You need to, Jim, you need confess what you've done."

Lisbon caught Van Pelt's eye and nodded once before both of them turned into the sanctuary. "James Young," Lisbon called out, "this is the CBI." On reflex Young reached for the gun in the waistband of his jeans. "Drop the gun," she told him calmly.

"I…I can't go to prison," Young stammered out.

"We are going to take you in," Lisbon said, "we know that César Márquez is looking for you. You come in with us, and you won't get hurt."

"You don't understand," Jim said desperately, "these guys will kill me, no matter where I am."

"We can protect you," she assured him, "just come with us and you'll be safe."

Jim looked down at the ground for a long time, the weapon in his hand shook. He was afraid, that could make him dangerous, it could also mean that he would give in. It was a long tense minute before he finally looked back up at Lisbon. With defeated eyes he tossed the gun to the ground in front of her.

Lisbon breathed a sigh of relief and stepped forward, "Jim Young you are under—"

A long burst of gunfire filled the room and on instinct Lisbon dropped to the ground, hauling Young down with her. She glanced back to see Van Pelt crouched on the other side of the aisle, hiding with Father Langely behind the pews. Good girl, she knew her stuff.

"Oh my God oh my God," Jim repeated, "They found me, they finally found me."

"I need you to stay calm," she whispered.

"They're going to kill us!"

"No," Lisbon said, "we are going to get out of this." She turned back to peek down the aisle and saw two men crouching behind the walls and peeking over. If there was any doubt to their identities before, it was gone now. "César Márquez! This is Agent Lisbon of the CBI. Put the guns down before this gets any worse!"

She heard him laugh and then he shouted back, "No Agent Lisbon, I think not."

Dammit, she was not going to get herself killed in a church. God knew what would happen to Tyler then. Lisbon took in a shaky breath and did her best to swallow her fears; she was going to go home to her little boy tonight, nothing would stop that. "Let's be honest, you can't get out of this free."

"You would be surprised _puta_."

Well he certainly wasn't charming. She needed something, something that she could use to distract them. There was a hymnal book resting on the pew in front of her, that might work. 'God will forgive me for this', she decided and she heaved the book across the room.

It worked! One of the two men peaked from behind the wall and fired a few shots: in the wrong direction. Giving Lisbon the chance to fire a couple of shots of her own. From the sounds of him shouting and cursing, one of her bullets had made an impact.

"_Que se arrepienta de esa puta_!" Márquez shouted.

It was all well and good that she'd wounded him, but it was time to think of a new idea. Thankfully she didn't have to.

"Put the weapons down and get down on the ground!" Cho's voice shouted from behind the two men, "Now!" Lisbon kept her own gun ready, she didn't relax until she heard the sound of metal being set down on the floor and Rigsby's voice reading their Miranda rights.

Then she smiled with relief and stood up, "What took you so long Cho?"

"Sorry boss, got tied up in the back," Cho replied with ease as he hauled Márquez to his feet.

Jim Young was still cowering on the floor as she helped him up. She looked over to see Grace doing the same for Father Langley, thankfully everyone was unharmed. Lisbon turned back to the doctor, "James Young," she said sternly, "You're under arrest."

She led him outside, Cho and Rigsby were by wall of the church with Márquez and his second man Meyers. Both of them were handcuffed and looking pretty angry, Meyers was bleeding from a wound in his arm. So that was who her bullet had struck.

Lisbon brought Young to the far side of the church to get him away from Márquez before pulling out her cell phone and calling dispatch, "This is Agent Lisbon, I'm at St. Anthony's Parish. I need some people down here to bring in three suspects, one is wounded."

From her peripheral vision she saw movement and looked up to see Jane coming around from the passenger side of the vehicle to stand by the door. She didn't hang up the phone but barely heard the man telling her that some uniforms were on their way.

All she saw was Jane's broad smile.

* * *

><p>Jim Young was brought to interrogation immediately, if it was possible, he looked even more frightened there then he did in the church. Lisbon and Jane sat calmly in front of him as he toyed with his hands on the table. He was a small nervous man, Lisbon could hardly believe that he was capable of selling dead bodies to the Mexican mafia…but she knew that appearances could be deceiving.<p>

"I guess you guys know about everything," Young spoke, finally looking up at them with a mixture of shame and fear.

"We know about your business arrangement with Márquez," Jane said simply, "Ralph filled us in on the details."

Jim nodded somberly, "It wasn't…I didn't mean for it to become like that."

"I know," Jane replied, "You saw your old life slipping away and you were desperate. It made you vulnerable, just like with Candace. You were an easy mark…but this time it wasn't a lovely young woman that was seducing you…it was your own indulgences."

"Monica…she was taking everything," Jim explained, "And this was easy. No one would know…no one would care. These people had nothing and in the end it would do a lot of good."

"You were illegally selling human bodies," Lisbon reminded him, "and you were working with some very prominent criminals."

"It wasn't supposed to be like this," He continued, "I didn't mean for it to get so out of hand…it was only going to be temporary."

"But the money was too good," Jane finished, "It was too easy, and it was dangerous. You liked that idea, of being someone that broke the rules. It made you feel strong and confident, something you've never felt before. Your mistake was in believing that what you feel meant that was what you were. A tiger cannot always change his stripes."

Jim looked back down at the table-top for a long while, gathering his emotions until he was composed again. "So what happens now?"

"Now you will be charged with illegally selling human remains," Lisbon stated, "and whatever charges the DA thinks he can throw in there. With your confession, you might be able to get a good deal, if you agree to testify against Márquez then you'll get an even better one."

He nodded slowly. "That sounds good."

"I'm glad you agree."

Jim's eyes met hers for a moment. "David talked to you didn't he."

Lisbon froze for a moment when she heard David's name but finally got her mind working again, "He did the right thing and came to us when he learned you were in trouble. If he hadn't, then we may not have found you in time."

He considered that moment for a bit before saying, "Thank him for me. He's a good friend. He was the one who stood by me when things were getting bad…I'm sorry I disappointed him."

"I will," she assured him softly. Then she gathered her things and followed Jane out of the interrogation room. Breathing a big sigh of relief as she left.

It was finally over.

* * *

><p>David was sitting on her white couch in Lisbon's office. She noticed the sad, pensive look on his face and immediately guessed his thoughts were on the man Rigsby was now escorting to booking. "You okay?" she asked as she sat down next to him.<p>

He didn't say anything at first. After a long moment he finally met her eyes. "The Hippocratic oath says 'Do no harm'. I always thought that extended until even after a patient's death."

Lisbon nodded and reached over to take his hand. "I'm sorry, David."

He let out a sigh and nodded. "I am too. I never should have said that to you."

"It's alright," she said.

"No, it's not. You were right, this is your job and I just couldn't see past my relationship with Jim."

Lisbon smiled a little and shrugged. "I guess it's a good thing that I'm the cop and you're the doctor then."

David's face softened into a smile. "Yeah, I guess so." His smile fell a second later and he shook his head. "I still can't believe Jim did all of that."

"In my line of work, you learn that anyone can do anything," she said grimly. She'd also learned that lesson the hard way.

But she wouldn't think about herself, not now. David was the one hurting. She stood up and tugged on his hand for him to follow. "Come on, I have a bottle of wine and three year old son at home. Two things guaranteed to cheer you up."

David smiled again and stood up. "Lead the way."

Lisbon began to tell David a recent story of Tyler and a storm that had passed through and his love of jumping in the puddles. David laughed at the imagery and snaked his arm around her waist to pull her close. She laughed with him and put her head on his shoulder for just a second. It was nice to have someone to hold her, someone she could depend on.

Lisbon didn't notice that she and her boyfriend were being watched by the blue eyes of Patrick Jane. He stood in the hallway, focused solely on the clearly happy couple as the walked away. He tried to hold it back, but the emotions were clear by the firm set of his jaw and hard swallow he took as David leaned over and kissed Lisbon on the cheek.

He didn't even notice Cho's footsteps until he was standing next to Jane. Cho followed his gaze but then looked back at him. Jane didn't once avert his eyes. "Still going to say it doesn't bother you?"

Jane said nothing. There was no point in lying now.

* * *

><p>AN: Hmmm How's that jealousy thing working out for Jane? Not good I'm thinking. I don't think Jane is the type to SHOW his jealousy but he is human and it is human nature to envy, particularly when someone has something we desperately want. Of course in this case David has TWO things, we'll just have to see how Jane goes about this.

Next Chapter: What do you get when you have a dead politician, a dominatrix and throw in a little Patrick Jane? It all adds up to one AWESOME Halloween! LOL I've always wanted to see a Mentalist episode with a dominatrix...so we're writing one! You won't want to miss the leather and whips, believe me!


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